How to Say Please in Japanese: Kudasai vs Onegaishimasu for Polite Requests

Here's the thing about how to say please when learning Japanese: there's actually no single word that directly translates to the English "please." I know that sounds confusing at first, but stick with me here. When you're learning Japanese, one of the first things you'll notice is that context matters way more than in English. The word you use for "please" depends on what you're asking for, who you're talking to, and whether you're making a request, offering something, or asking for a favor. Pretty cool how much nuance gets packed into these expressions, right?

The main ways to say please in Japanese

Let me break down the most common ways you'll express "please" when speaking Japanese. Each one has its own specific use case, and mixing them up can sound pretty awkward to native speakers.

Kudasai (ください): The go-to for direct requests

ください is probably the first word you'll learn for making polite requests in Japanese. You'll use this when you want someone to give you something or do something for you. The word comes from the verb , which is an honorific form meaning "to give."

Here's how it works in practice. When you want to ask for something at a restaurant, you'd say the item name followed by kudasai. For example:

The sentence structure flips from what you'd say in English. Instead of "please give me water," you literally say "water please give." This pattern holds true for pretty much all Japanese requests.

You can also attach kudasai to verb stems to ask someone to do something:

I use this construction all the time when I'm in Japan. It's polite enough for most everyday situations without being overly formal. You can use it with shopkeepers, coworkers, people you've just met, and pretty much anyone you'd normally be polite to.

Onegaishimasu (お願いします): The most polite option

The phrase is the heavyweight champion of polite requests in Japanese. This phrase literally means "I humbly ask" or "I make a request," and it carries a lot more formality than kudasai.

You'll hear onegaishimasu constantly in Japanese daily life. When you hand your credit card to a cashier, when you ask someone for help, when you're making any kind of formal request, this is your word. The phrase comes from , which means "request" or "favor," combined with します, the polite form of "to do."

Here are some common situations where you'd use onegaishimasu:

The shortened form works in casual situations with friends or people younger than you. You might say "Onegai!" when asking a friend for a small favor, kind of like saying "Please!" in English with that slightly pleading tone.

What makes onegaishimasu so useful is its versatility. You can use it in almost any situation where you need to be polite, and you'll never sound rude. When I'm unsure which expression to use, I default to onegaishimasu because it's the safer choice.

Douzo (どうぞ): When you’re offering something

どうぞ is the word you use when you're inviting someone to do something or offering them something. Think of it as "please" in the sense of "please, go ahead" or "please, help yourself."

You'll use douzo in situations like:

Sometimes you'll hear douzo used by itself, especially when handing something to someone or gesturing for them to go first. It's a simple, polite way to show consideration.

Choudai (ちょうだい): The casual alternative

ちょうだい is the informal, friendly version of kudasai. You'd only use this with close friends, family members, or people younger than you. Kids use choudai all the time, and it has a softer, less formal feel than kudasai.

For example:

I wouldn't recommend using choudai until you're pretty comfortable with Japanese social dynamics. Using it with the wrong person can come across as overly familiar or even rude.

Understanding the cultural context

The Japanese language builds politeness into its grammar in ways that English just doesn't. When you're making a request in Japanese, you're constantly thinking about your relationship to the other person and the social context.

Japanese culture places huge emphasis on respect and hierarchy. The language reflects this through different levels of formality, honorific prefixes, and entirely different vocabulary depending on who you're talking to. This means that "please" changes based on whether you're talking to your boss, a stranger, a friend, or a family member.

The honorific prefix お or ご often gets added to nouns to show respect. You'll see this in words like:

When you combine these honorific forms with your request words, you're layering politeness on top of politeness. For instance, sounds more polite than just "Cha kudasai" would.

Sentence structure differences you need to know

English and Japanese handle requests in fundamentally different ways. In English, we typically say "Please give me X" or "Can I have X, please?" The word "please" can go at the beginning or end of the sentence.

Japanese flips this around. The basic pattern is:

So you'd say:

The request word always comes at the end. You can add other elements to make the sentence more polite or specific, but this basic structure stays consistent.

Another key difference: Japanese often drops the subject of the sentence when it's obvious from context. You don't need to say "I" or "me" in most requests because it's understood that you're the one asking. This makes Japanese sentences shorter and more direct than their English equivalents.

Practical examples for real situations

Let me give you some real-world scenarios so you can see how these words actually get used:

At a restaurant:

Shopping:

Asking for directions:

Offering something:

Notice how the level of formality shifts based on the situation and what you're requesting. You'd use more formal language when asking for help with directions than when ordering water at a casual restaurant.

Tips for learning to use please correctly

If you want to actually practice using these expressions with real Japanese content, Migaku's browser extension and app let you look up words and phrases instantly while watching shows or reading articles. You can see how native speakers use kudasai and onegaishimasu in actual conversations, which beats memorizing textbook examples any day. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.

FAQs

Basic please expressions can help you make better connections

Using these words correctly makes a real difference in how people respond to you. When you walk into a shop in Japan and say "Sumimasen, kore kudasai" with proper pronunciation and appropriate politeness, you'll get much better service than if you just point and grunt. Language learning is about communication, and polite communication opens doors. Even if you're not heading to Japan any time soon, you can still expand your vocabulary collection by consuming media!

Politeness costs nothing and gains everything.