何卒

• Reading: なにとぞ
• Romaji: nanitozo
• Kanji breakdown: 何 (nani/ka) — what; 卒 (totsu/sotsu) — (emphatic particle)
• Pronunciation: /na.ni.to.zo/

Meaning

Please; kindly; I beg of you. A very polite way to make a request.

A formal adverb used when making earnest requests or pleas. Much more polite and deferential than ください or どうぞ — 何卒よろしくお願いいたします is a standard closing in business emails and formal letters. Also used in apologies: 何卒ご了承ください (please kindly understand). Rarely used in casual speech; primarily a written and formal spoken expression. Carries a sense of humble entreaty.

Examples

1. 何卒よろしくお願いいたします。 Thank you very much for your continued support.
2. 何卒ご理解のほどお願い申し上げます。 We humbly ask for your understanding.
3. ご不便をおかけしますが、何卒ご容赦ください。 We apologize for any inconvenience, and kindly ask for your patience.

Usage Guide

Context: business emails, formal letters, customer service

Tone: deferential

Origin & History

From classical Japanese: 何 (nani, what) + 卒 (totsu/sotsu), an emphatic particle. Originally an intensifier meaning 'by any means' or 'somehow.' Over centuries it became fixed as a formal expression of earnest, humble request.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: Adults

Social background: Professional