Hello, I’m Kodak.
You are shopping in Japan, but you do not know the Japanese name of the item you want.
これ、ください。
Kore, kudasai.
This, please.
これください (kore kudasai) and これをください (kore o kudasai) mean:
・This, please.
・I’d like this, please.
・I’ll take this.
・Please give me this.
これをください is the full grammatical form. In conversation, the object particle を is often omitted, so これ、ください sounds natural and is easy for beginners to use.
In this article, you will learn:
② the difference between これください and これをください
③ how to pronounce kore o kudasai
④ how to buy something by pointing when you do not know its name
⑤ how to ask for a color, size, quantity, or menu item
⑥ how polite ください is
⑦ the differences between ください, お願いします, これにします, and 見せてください
⑧ useful dialogues for shops, markets, bakeries, restaurants, and ticket counters
What Does Kore Kudasai Mean?
Full form: これをください
Romaji: kore kudasai / kore o kudasai
Natural English:
・This, please.
・I’d like this, please.
・I’ll take this.
・Can I have this, please?
The phrase is used when you want someone to give, sell, serve, or hand you the thing you are indicating.
これをください。
Kore o kudasai.
This, please.
すみません。これ、ください。
Sumimasen. Kore, kudasai.
Excuse me. I’d like this, please.
Natural English is usually “This, please” or “I’ll take this.”
Kore Kudasai vs Kore o Kudasai
The two versions have the same basic meaning.
Kore o kudasai.
Full grammatical form
これ、ください
Kore, kudasai.
Natural spoken form with を omitted
The Japan Foundation’s beginner material teaches これ、ください as a practical expression for ordering or requesting something.
これをください
For quick real-life shopping:
これ、ください
Both are understandable and polite enough for normal customer-service interactions. A beginner does not need to worry about choosing the “perfect” version.
The Grammar of Kore o Kudasai
The full phrase has three parts:
this; this thing near the speaker
を (o)
the object particle; marks the thing being requested
ください (kudasai)
please give me; please let me have
↓
this + object marker + please give
↓
This, please. / I’d like this.
That is why pointing and saying これ is so useful when you do not know the vocabulary.
What Is Kore?
これ refers to a thing close to the speaker.
this; this one near me
それ
that; that one near you
あれ
that one over there, away from both of us
どれ
which one?
This one, please.
それをください。
That one near you, please.
あれをください。
That one over there, please.
For an item next to the staff member, それ is the textbook choice.
What Does Kudasai Mean?
ください is the imperative form of the honorific verb くださる, meaning that someone gives something to the speaker or the speaker’s group.
When used after a noun marked by を, it means that the speaker wants to receive that thing.
Please give me [noun].
I would like [noun].
水をください。
Mizu o kudasai.
Water, please.
地図をください。
Chizu o kudasai.
A map, please.
このチケットをください。
Kono chiketto o kudasai.
This ticket, please.
In a shop or restaurant, it does not normally sound like the blunt English command “Give me that.”
The Origin of Kudasai
ください comes from くださる, the honorific equivalent of くれる (“to give to me/us”).
Dictionary explanations trace くださる through an older form related to くだす and the respectful form くだされる. The modern request form became fixed as ください.
an upper or respected person gives something downward
↓
くださる
honorific “to give to me/us”
↓
ください
a polite request: “please give me…”
Modern speakers normally use ください as one fixed request expression and do not actively imagine this direction.
How Is Kore Kudasai Written in Japanese?
Full grammatical form: これをください
Possible kanji form: これを下さい
Romaji: kore kudasai / kore o kudasai
The request is commonly written with ください in hiragana. 下さい is also possible when the word independently means “give me,” but hiragana is easy to read and widely used.
Both これください and これ、ください can be seen in informal writing.
How to Pronounce Kore o Kudasai
Romaji: kore o kudasai
Mora breakdown: こ・れ・を・く・だ・さ・い
Number of morae: 7
The shorter spoken form has six morae:
こ・れ・く・だ・さ・い
ko ・ re ・ ku ・ da ・ sa ・ i
1. Pronounce を as “O,” Not “Wo”
The particle is written を, but in standard modern Japanese it is normally pronounced like お (o).
Normal spoken pronunciation: kore o kudasai
2. The R in Kore Is a Quick Tap
The れ (re) sound uses a quick tongue tap. It is not exactly the same as an English r or l.
3. Keep the Final さい as Two Beats
さい contains さ + い. Do not compress it into one English syllable.
ku ・ da ・ sa ・ i
Aim for four even Japanese beats: ku-da-sa-i.
Pointing Shopping: How to Buy Something Without Knowing Its Name
これ、ください is one of the most useful survival phrases in Japan because a gesture can supply the missing vocabulary.
Step 2: Point gently to the item, picture, or menu entry.
Step 3: Say これ、ください.
Step 4: Show the quantity with words or fingers if necessary.
Step 5: Confirm the item when the staff repeats your order.
Sumimasen. Kore, kudasai.
Excuse me. This, please.
Point with a finger or open hand from a respectful distance, or indicate a menu picture.
How to Ask for One, Two, or More Items
One Item
Kore o hitotsu kudasai.
One of these, please.
これ、一つください。
Kore, hitotsu kudasai.
One of these, please.
Two Items
Kore o futatsu kudasai.
Two of these, please.
Three Items
Kore o mittsu kudasai.
Three of these, please.
You can also show the number with your fingers. Clear communication is more important than perfect counter grammar during a real purchase.
How to Ask for Two Different Items
Kore to kore o kudasai.
This one and this one, please.
You can point to each item as you say これ.
Kore o hitotsu to, kore o futatsu kudasai.
One of this and two of this, please.
How to Ask for a Color or Size
This Red One, Please
Kono akai no o kudasai.
This red one, please.
The の replaces the omitted noun, similar to English “one.”
A Different Color, Please
Kore no kuro o kudasai.
I’d like the black version of this.
これの青はありますか？
Kore no ao wa arimasu ka?
Do you have this in blue?
Medium Size, Please
Emu-saizu o kudasai.
Medium size, please.
これのMサイズをください。
Kore no emu-saizu o kudasai.
I’d like this in medium.
If you only want to inspect it first, use 見せてください instead.
Kore o Kudasai vs Kore o Misete Kudasai
This difference is important in shops with items behind glass or behind the counter.
I’ll take this. / Give me this, please.
⇒ You want the item.
これを見せてください。
Please show me this.
⇒ You want to inspect it, not necessarily buy it.
Excuse me. Please show me this.
Staff: はい、どうぞ。
Certainly. Here you are.
Customer: ありがとうございます。これをください。
Thank you. I’ll take this.
Kore Kudasai vs Kore ni Shimasu
Please give me this. / I’ll take this.
⇒ directly requests the item
これにします。
I’ll choose this. / I’ll go with this.
⇒ announces your decision or selection
これにします is useful after comparing choices or when answering a question such as “Which one would you like?”
Which one will you choose?
Customer: これにします。
I’ll go with this one.
Add これにします when you want to emphasize, “I have decided on this one.”
Kore Kudasai vs Kore Onegai Shimasu
Both can be used to request an item or place an order.
This, please.
⇒ simple, direct, and normal
これ、お願いします。
This, please.
⇒ often feels a little softer or more polished
The Japan Foundation explains that お願いします is a way of asking someone to do something for you and is more polite than ください.
Adding すみません, using a calm tone, and saying ありがとうございます afterward will make the whole interaction sound friendly.
これ、ください。
Softer:
これ、お願いします。
More customer-service style:
こちらをお願いします。
How to Use Kore Kudasai in a Restaurant
You can point to a menu picture and say これ、ください. This is especially helpful when the dish name is difficult to read.
Excuse me. I’ll have this, please.
Staff: こちらのラーメンですね。
This ramen, correct?
Customer: はい。
Yes.
Ordering Two Menu Items
Kore to, kore o kudasai.
This and this, please.
Ordering One of These
Kore o hitotsu kudasai.
One of these, please.
Ordering Without an Ingredient
Kore o, negi-nuki de onegai shimasu.
I’d like this without green onions, please.
Pointing, pictures, and short Japanese phrases work very well together.
Using Kore Kudasai at a Bakery or Market
At a Bakery
Two of these, please.
Staff: こちらを二つですね。
Two of these, correct?
Customer: はい、お願いします。
Yes, please.
At a Market Stall
One of these, please.
Seller: はい。500円です。
Certainly. It is 500 yen.
When You Want the One Behind the Display
Are o kudasai.
That one over there, please.
Using Kore Kudasai at a Ticket Counter
When tickets or plans are displayed on a screen or printed chart, you can indicate one and request it.
One of these tickets, please.
Staff: 大人一枚ですね。
One adult ticket, correct?
Customer: はい。
Yes.
For tickets, the counter 枚 (mai) is common.
One ticket/sheet, please.
二枚ください。
Two tickets/sheets, please.
What Will the Staff Say Back?
Staff may repeat the item and quantity to confirm your request.
This one, correct?
一つですね。
One, correct?
二つでよろしいですか？
Are two okay?
Mサイズですね。
Medium size, correct?
ほかにご注文はありますか？
Would you like anything else?
If they are wrong, say すみません、こっちです (“Sorry, this one”) while pointing again.
Can You Use Kore Kudasai Outside Shopping?
Yes, but the exact nuance depends on whether the other person is expected to give you the object.
これをください。
I’ll take this.
At a reception desk:
このパンフレットをください。
This brochure, please.
At home:
そのペンをください。
Please give me that pen.
In personal relationships, the phrase may sound more direct than in a commercial setting. Tone and context matter.
Say これ、見てもいい？ (“Can I look at this?”) or ちょっと貸して (“Lend it to me for a moment”) depending on what you mean.
Kore Kudasai vs Chōdai vs Kure
This, please.
⇒ standard polite request
これ、ちょうだい。
Give me this / Can I have this?
⇒ casual; used with family, close friends, or by children
これをくれ。
Give me this.
⇒ rough and commanding; generally unsuitable with staff
For real shopping, stay with これ、ください or これ、お願いします.
Kore Kudasai in Anime and Games
The expression may appear in ordinary shopping scenes, comedy, or role-playing games.
I’ll take this.
じゃあ、これください。
Then, I’ll take this.
これとこれ、ください！
This and this, please!
この薬をください。
This medicine, please.
Because it is an ordinary practical phrase, it usually does not carry a special anime-only meaning.
The basic grammar and meaning remain the same.
Useful Pointing-Shopping Dialogues
Dialogue 1: Buying a Souvenir
Excuse me. This, please.
Staff: こちらですね。
This one, correct?
Customer: はい。
Yes.
Staff: 1,200円です。
It is 1,200 yen.
Dialogue 2: Buying Two Items
Two of these, please.
Staff: 二つですね。
Two, correct?
Customer: はい、お願いします。
Yes, please.
Dialogue 3: Choosing a Different Color
Do you have this in black?
Staff: はい、あります。
Yes, we do.
Customer: では、黒をください。
Then, the black one, please.
Dialogue 4: Asking to See It First
Please show me this.
Staff: はい、どうぞ。
Certainly. Here you are.
Customer: これにします。
I’ll go with this one.
Dialogue 5: Ordering from a Menu Picture
This and this, please.
Staff: ラーメンと餃子ですね。
Ramen and gyoza, correct?
Customer: はい。
Yes.
Dialogue 6: Correcting a Pointing Mistake
This one?
Customer: すみません、そっちではなくて、こっちです。
Sorry, not that one—this one.
Staff: こちらですね。
This one, correct?
Common Beginner Mistakes
Mistake 1: Thinking を Must Be Pronounced “Wo”
Write を, but normally pronounce it o.
Mistake 2: Using これください When You Only Want to Look
これをください。
You only want to inspect it:
これを見せてください。
Mistake 3: Using これ Before a Noun
これ stands alone. Before a noun, use この.
This one, please.
○ このバッグをください。
This bag, please.
× これバッグをください。
Mistake 4: Using a Rough Anime Form
Avoid これをくれ with staff. Use ください or お願いします.
Mistake 5: Forgetting the Quantity
If the display contains many identical items, add 一つ, 二つ, or another counter.
Mistake 6: Pointing Without Confirming
Listen when the staff repeats the item, size, or quantity. A simple はい can prevent mistakes.
Natural Example Sentences with Kore Kudasai
これをください。
Kore o kudasai.
This, please.
すみません。これ、ください。
Sumimasen. Kore, kudasai.
Excuse me. I’d like this.
それをください。
Sore o kudasai.
That one, please.
あれをください。
Are o kudasai.
That one over there, please.
これを一つください。
Kore o hitotsu kudasai.
One of these, please.
これを二つください。
Kore o futatsu kudasai.
Two of these, please.
これとこれをください。
Kore to kore o kudasai.
This one and this one, please.
この赤いのをください。
Kono akai no o kudasai.
This red one, please.
これのMサイズをください。
Kore no emu-saizu o kudasai.
I’d like this in medium.
これを見せてください。
Kore o misete kudasai.
Please show me this.
これにします。
Kore ni shimasu.
I’ll go with this one.
これ、お願いします。
Kore, onegai shimasu.
This, please.
このパンを三つください。
Kono pan o mittsu kudasai.
Three of these breads, please.
このチケットを二枚ください。
Kono chiketto o nimai kudasai.
Two of these tickets, please.
FAQ About Kore Kudasai
What does kore kudasai mean?
これください means “This, please,” “I’d like this,” or “I’ll take this.” It is used when requesting or purchasing an item you are indicating.
What does kore o kudasai mean?
これをください is the full grammatical version of これください. The particle を marks これ as the object being requested.
Is kore kudasai grammatically correct?
Yes. The particle を is omitted, as often happens in conversation. これをください is the complete form, while これ、ください is a natural spoken form.
Is kore kudasai polite?
It is polite enough for normal shopping and restaurant situations. これ、お願いします can sound slightly softer or more polished.
How do you pronounce kore o kudasai?
Pronounce it in seven morae: こ・れ・を・く・だ・さ・い. The particle を is normally pronounced o, not with a strong “w.”
How do you say “I’ll take this” in Japanese?
You can say これをください or これ、ください. これにします means “I’ll choose this one” and is useful after comparing options.
What is the difference between kore kudasai and kore ni shimasu?
これください directly requests the item. これにします announces your selection or decision.
What is the difference between kore kudasai and kore onegai shimasu?
Both can mean “This, please.” お願いします often sounds a little softer or more polite than ください.
What is the difference between kore o kudasai and kore o misete kudasai?
これをください means you want to receive or buy the item. これを見せてください means you only want the staff to show it to you.
Can I use kore kudasai in a restaurant?
Yes. Point to a menu item or picture and say これ、ください. You can add a quantity, such as これを二つください.
How do I ask for two of these in Japanese?
Say これを二つください or the spoken form これ、二つください.
How do I ask for this in another color?
Say これの黒はありますか (“Do you have this in black?”), then 黒をください if you want it.
Can I say kore chōdai?
これ、ちょうだい is casual and is used with family or close friends. With shop staff, これ、ください is safer.
Can I say kore o kure?
It means “Give me this,” but it sounds rough and commanding. It is generally unsuitable in customer-service situations.
Summary: Kore Kudasai Meaning and Pointing Shopping
これください / これをください means “This, please,” “I’d like this,” or “I’ll take this.”
● Full grammar
これ + を + ください
this + object marker + please give
● Spoken form
The object particle を is often omitted:
これ、ください。
● Pronunciation
これをください = こ・れ・を・く・だ・さ・い
Pronounce を as o.
● Pointing-shopping formula
すみません。これ、ください。
Excuse me. This, please.
● Quantities
これを一つください。 = One of these, please.
これを二つください。 = Two of these, please.
● Important differences
これをください = I’ll take this.
これを見せてください = Please show me this.
これにします = I’ll choose this.
これ、お願いします = This, please; slightly softer.
● Avoid
これをくれ = rough “Give me this.”
Start with one powerful survival phrase:
すみません。これ、ください。
Point clearly, add the quantity if needed, and confirm with はい. That is enough to complete many real shopping and restaurant interactions.
References
- The Japan Foundation, IRODORI Grammar Notes: これ、ください / N、お願いします
- The Japan Foundation: Nをください — grammar explanation and shopping examples
- The Japan Foundation, Minna no Kyozai: ordering by pointing and saying これをください
- JF Standard: identifying an item by pointing, for example これをください
- Kotobank / Digital Daijisen: ください
- Kotobank / Digital Daijisen and Seisenban Nihon Kokugo Daijiten: くださる
- Kotobank / Digital Daijisen: これ