～ください (please do)

• Reading: ください
• Romaji: kudasai
• Formation: Verb て-form + ください / Noun + をください
• Kanji breakdown: 下 (くだ) — down, give

Meaning

A polite request form asking someone to perform an action. It follows the て-form of a verb and is one of the most fundamental polite expressions in Japanese.

ください is used after the て-form of a verb to make a polite request. It can also follow a noun with を to request an item (水をください). While polite, it is a relatively direct request and can sound commanding depending on context. For more deferential requests, ていただけますか or てくださいませんか are preferred. The kanji form 下さい is used when it functions as the main verb meaning 'give me,' while hiragana ください is standard when used as an auxiliary after て-form verbs. In casual speech, the request is often made with just the て-form alone, dropping ください entirely.

Examples

1. ここに名前を書いてください。 Please write your name here.
2. もう少しゆっくり話してください。 Please speak a little more slowly.
3. この書類を読んでください。 Please read this document.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: polite

Do Say

• すみません、道を教えてください。
• ここで少々お待ちください。
• お名前をお書きください。
• コーヒーを二つください。

Don't Say

• 座るください。(ください requires the て-form of the verb — use 座ってください) → 座ってください。
• 静かにしてください！(With a harsh tone, ください sounds like a command rather than a request — consider もう少し静かにしていただけますか for politeness) → もう少し静かにしていただけますか。

Origin & History

ください is the imperative form of くださる, an honorific verb meaning 'to give (to me).' It developed into a standard polite request marker during the Edo period.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal