Hello, I’m Kodak.
Japanese learners quickly discover two expressions that are both translated as “please”:
お願いします (onegaishimasu)
ください asks someone to give you something or perform a stated action.
お願いします places a request, order, service, choice, or arrangement in the listener’s hands.
Use noun + をください when directly asking for an item.
Use verb て-form + ください when directly asking someone to do an action.
Use お願いします for an order, service, arrangement, accepted offer, or request that is understood from context.
水をください。
Please give me some water.
待ってください。
Please wait.
水をお願いします。
Water, please.
「お手伝いしましょうか？」「お願いします。」
“Shall I help?” “Yes, please.”
① what kudasai means
② how to pronounce and write it
③ how to use noun + kudasai
④ how to use te-form + kudasai
⑤ the difference between kudasai and onegaishimasu
⑥ which expression sounds natural in restaurants, shops, travel, and conversation
⑦ softer and more polite alternatives
⑧ common mistakes, anime usage, and natural examples
What Does Kudasai Mean?
Hiragana: ください
Kanji sometimes used: 下さい
Romaji: kudasai
Basic meanings: please give me; please do
ください is the command/request form of くださる (kudasaru), a respectful verb meaning that someone gives something or does something for the speaker or the speaker’s group.
In beginner Japanese, you will mainly use ください in two patterns.
Please give me [noun].
Pattern 2: [verb て-form] + ください
Please do [verb].
水をください。
Mizu o kudasai.
Please give me some water.
ここに座ってください。
Koko ni suwatte kudasai.
Please sit here.
But in the pattern Vてください, it works as a request expression, so natural English normally translates it as “please do…”.
The Core Image of Kudasai
The core image is:
With a physical object, the image is easy to see:
メニューをください。
Menyū o kudasai.
Please give me a menu.
With an action, Japanese treats the action as something the listener kindly does for the speaker:
メニューを見せてください。
Menyū o misete kudasai.
Please show me the menu.
It also explains why ください is connected to the listener doing something that benefits the speaker.
Kudasai Pronunciation
Romaji: kudasai
Mora: く・だ・さ・い (4 morae)
Slow rhythm: ku – da – sa – i
Keep the four beats relatively even. The final さ・い (sa-i) contains two morae.
ku-da-sa-i
Avoid turning the ending into one long English diphthong.
Common Pronunciation Mistakes
⇒ Heavy English stress and one merged final sound.
Better rhythm: ku-da-sa-i
⇒ Four short, relatively even morae.
Incorrect habit: ku-DESS-eye
⇒ The Japanese vowels change too much.
Better: keep the vowels simple: u, a, a, i.
How Do You Write Kudasai?
Kanji form: 下さい
Katakana: クダサイ
Romaji: kudasai
For learners, ください in hiragana is the safest general spelling.
You may also see 下さい, especially when the word independently means “give me [something].” When it follows a verb’s て-form as a helper expression, modern writing usually prefers hiragana:
Please give me some water.
⇒ Kanji is possible.
見てください。
Please look.
⇒ Hiragana is the standard learner-friendly spelling.
Katakana クダサイ may appear for emphasis, robotic speech, signs, manga effects, or stylized dialogue, but it is not the ordinary spelling.
How to Use Noun + Kudasai
To ask for a thing, use:
Please give me [noun].
I would like [noun].
水をください。
Mizu o kudasai.
Water, please.
切符を一枚ください。
Kippu o ichimai kudasai.
One ticket, please.
領収書をください。
Ryōshūsho o kudasai.
Please give me a receipt.
もう少し時間をください。
Mō sukoshi jikan o kudasai.
Please give me a little more time.
As a beginner, learn the complete pattern 水をください first.
Using Quantities with Kudasai
One of these, please.
コーヒーを二つください。
Two coffees, please.
東京までの切符を一枚ください。
One ticket to Tokyo, please.
How to Use Verb + Te-form + Kudasai
To ask someone to perform an action, use:
Please do [action].
少し待ってください。
Sukoshi matte kudasai.
Please wait a moment.
ここに名前を書いてください。
Koko ni namae o kaite kudasai.
Please write your name here.
もう一度言ってください。
Mō ichido itte kudasai.
Please say it one more time.
ゆっくり話してください。
Yukkuri hanashite kudasai.
Please speak slowly.
待つ → 待ってください
見る → 見てください
する → してください
Useful Te-form + Kudasai Expressions
Please look.
聞いてください。
Please listen.
教えてください。
Please tell me / teach me.
手伝ってください。
Please help me.
来てください。
Please come.
入ってください。
Please come in.
座ってください。
Please sit down.
読んでください。
Please read it.
How to Say “Please Don’t” with Kudasai
For a negative request, use:
Please do not [action].
ここで写真を撮らないでください。
Koko de shashin o toranaide kudasai.
Please do not take photos here.
心配しないでください。
Shinpai shinaide kudasai.
Please do not worry.
忘れないでください。
Wasurenaide kudasai.
Please do not forget.
Tone and relationship decide whether it feels gentle or firm.
Kudasai vs Onegaishimasu: The Core Difference
“Please give me this” or “Please do this stated action.”
The requested object or action is clearly named.
お願いします (onegaishimasu)
“I place this request, order, service, choice, or matter in your hands.”
The action may be expressed as a noun or understood from context.
When asking for an item or placing an order, お願いします often sounds softer and more service-oriented.
But ください is also a standard polite form, and it is the correct basic pattern for many action requests.
1. Asking for an Item: Both Are Often Possible
Please give me a coffee.
⇒ A direct, standard request for the item.
コーヒーをお願いします。
I’d like a coffee, please.
⇒ Places the order with the staff; often feels softer in a service setting.
領収書をください。
Please give me a receipt.
領収書をお願いします。
A receipt, please.
Both are natural. The difference is usually small, especially when your voice is friendly.
2. Asking for a Specific Action: Use Te-form + Kudasai
Please wait a moment.
⇒ Natural.
少し待ってお願いします。
⇒ Incorrect.
写真を撮ってください。
Please take a photo.
写真を撮ってお願いします。
Incorrect.
写真撮影をお願いします。
Please handle the photography.
This sounds more like requesting a service or assigned task than asking a nearby person to press the camera button.
3. Accepting an Offer: Onegaishimasu Is Natural
「はい、お願いします。」
“Shall I carry your bag?”
“Yes, please.”
ください normally cannot replace お願いします by itself here.
お願いします simply and naturally accepts the offer that was already made.
4. Choosing a Method or Option: Onegaishimasu
By card, please.
Mサイズでお願いします。
Medium, please.
窓側の席でお願いします。
A window seat, please.
× Mサイズでください。
These do not work because で presents a selected method or option rather than an object being given.
5. Asking Someone to Handle a Matter: Onegaishimasu
この件をお願いします。
Kono ken o onegaishimasu.
Please take care of this matter.
明日の準備をお願いします。
Ashita no junbi o onegaishimasu.
Please handle tomorrow’s preparations.
Here, the speaker is entrusting responsibility rather than requesting one simple physical action.
6. Asking for Someone on the Phone: Onegaishimasu
田中さんをお願いします。
Tanaka-san o onegaishimasu.
May I speak to Mr./Ms. Tanaka?
On the phone, 田中さんをお願いします asks the listener to connect you with Tanaka.
Kudasai vs Onegaishimasu Comparison Table
水をください。○
水をお願いします。○
Asking someone to wait
待ってください。○
待ってお願いします。×
Choosing card payment
カードでお願いします。○
カードでください。×
Accepting an offer
お願いします。○
ください。△ Usually incomplete by itself
Asking for a person on the phone
田中さんをお願いします。○
田中さんをください。×
Asking for a receipt
領収書をください。○
領収書をお願いします。○
Which One Should Beginners Use?
⇒ Noun + をください
Example: 水をください。
You want someone to perform a clear action
⇒ Verb て-form + ください
Example: 教えてください。
You are ordering from staff
⇒ Noun + をお願いします is often a natural default
Example: コーヒーをお願いします。
You are accepting an offer
⇒ お願いします
You are selecting an option or method
⇒ [option] + でお願いします
You are entrusting a task or matter
⇒ [task/matter] + をお願いします
[menu item] + をお願いします。
It is natural for ordering and easy to reuse.
But if you say [menu item] + をください politely, the staff will also understand you.
Is Kudasai Rude?
ください is not inherently rude. It is a standard polite request form.
However, Vてください clearly tells the listener what to do. Depending on the relationship and situation, it can sound like an instruction rather than a gentle favor.
ここに名前を書いてください。
Please write your name here.
Natural emergency request:
救急車を呼んでください。
Please call an ambulance.
Possibly too direct for a difficult favor:
明日、私の仕事を全部してください。
Please do all my work tomorrow.
For example, ～てくださいませんか and ～てもらえますか often sound softer than a direct ～てください.
Softer and More Polite Alternatives to Kudasai
～てくださいませんか
もう一度説明してくださいませんか。
Mō ichido setsumei shite kudasaimasen ka.
Could you please explain it one more time?
This turns the request into a polite negative question: approximately, “Would you not do this for me?”
～てもらえますか
少し手伝ってもらえますか。
Sukoshi tetsudatte moraemasu ka.
Could you help me for a moment?
This asks whether receiving the listener’s help is possible.
～ていただけますか
こちらにご記入いただけますか。
Kochira ni gokinyū itadakemasu ka.
Could you please fill this in?
This is more formal and is common in business and customer-service settings.
～てもらってもいいですか
写真を撮ってもらってもいいですか。
Shashin o totte moratte mo ii desu ka.
Would it be okay if you took a photo for me?
Learn the softer forms later for requests that involve greater effort, sensitive relationships, or formal settings.
Kudasai vs Chōdai vs Onegai
Polite standard: “Please give me…” / “Please do…”
ちょうだい (chōdai)
Casual: “Give me…” / “Can I have…?”
Often used by children, family members, or close friends.
お願い (onegai)
Casual or emotional: “Please!” / “I’m begging you!”
お願いします (onegaishimasu)
Polite request, order, service, or entrusted matter
水をください。
Water, please.
水ちょうだい。
Give me some water. / Water, please.
Casual.
お願い、水を持ってきて！
Please, bring me some water!
Use ください or お願いします.
Kudasai in Restaurants and Shops
Ordering Food
このセットをください。
Kono setto o kudasai.
I’ll have this set, please.
ラーメンを一つください。
Rāmen o hitotsu kudasai.
One ramen, please.
Buying Something
これをください。
Kore o kudasai.
I’ll take this, please.
大きいサイズをください。
Ōkii saizu o kudasai.
Please give me the larger size.
Requesting a Receipt or Bag
レシートをください。
Reshīto o kudasai.
Please give me the receipt.
袋をください。
Fukuro o kudasai.
A bag, please.
The complete form これをください is clearer, while これをお願いします may sound a little softer as an order.
Kudasai for Travel and Daily Life
Please go to the station.
Useful in a taxi.
ここで止めてください。
Please stop here.
英語のメニューをください。
Please give me an English menu.
もう一度言ってください。
Please say it again.
ゆっくり話してください。
Please speak slowly.
写真を撮ってください。
Please take a photo.
助けてください。
Please help me.
Kudasai in Anime and Manga
In anime and manga, ください may sound polite, desperate, commanding, cute, or dramatic depending on the speaker and voice.
Please stop!
助けてください！
Please help me!
私にも見せてください。
Please show me too.
行かないでください。
Please don’t go.
信じてください。
Please believe me.
やめてください！ keeps a polite request form, although the situation may still be urgent or intense.
Common Beginner Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using the Dictionary Form Before Kudasai
○ 待ってください。
Please wait.
× 読むください。
○ 読んでください。
Please read it.
Mistake 2: Using Onegaishimasu After a Te-form
○ 見てください。
Please look.
○ 確認をお願いします。
Please check it.
⇒ The action is expressed as a noun.
Mistake 3: Believing Kudasai Is Always Rude
ください is polite Japanese. It may feel direct when the requested action is demanding, but that is a matter of context rather than the word being rude by itself.
Mistake 4: Using Kudasai Alone to Accept an Offer
Shall I help?
△ ください。
Usually incomplete.
○ お願いします。
Yes, please.
Mistake 5: Using Kudasai After an Option Marked by で
○ カードでお願いします。
By card, please.
Mistake 6: Treating Every “Please” as Kudasai
English uses “please” in many different ways. Japanese chooses expressions according to the grammar and social purpose of the request.
Natural Example Sentences with Kudasai
水をください。
Mizu o kudasai.
Water, please.
これを一つください。
Kore o hitotsu kudasai.
One of these, please.
東京までの切符をください。
Tōkyō made no kippu o kudasai.
A ticket to Tokyo, please.
少し時間をください。
Sukoshi jikan o kudasai.
Please give me a little time.
ここで待ってください。
Koko de matte kudasai.
Please wait here.
ドアを閉めてください。
Doa o shimete kudasai.
Please close the door.
もう少し大きな声で話してください。
Mō sukoshi ōkina koe de hanashite kudasai.
Please speak a little louder.
わからない言葉を教えてください。
Wakaranai kotoba o oshiete kudasai.
Please tell me the words I do not understand.
この漢字を読んでください。
Kono kanji o yonde kudasai.
Please read this kanji.
ここに入らないでください。
Koko ni hairanaide kudasai.
Please do not enter here.
私のことを忘れないでください。
Watashi no koto o wasurenaide kudasai.
Please do not forget me.
困ったときは連絡してください。
Komatta toki wa renraku shite kudasai.
Please contact me when you have a problem.
FAQ About Kudasai and Onegaishimasu
What does kudasai mean in English?
ください can mean “please give me” after a noun or “please do” after a verb’s て-form.
What is the difference between kudasai and onegaishimasu?
ください directly asks for a stated item or action. お願いします presents or entrusts a request, order, service, choice, or arrangement.
Is onegaishimasu more polite than kudasai?
When ordering or asking for an item, お願いします often sounds softer and more service-oriented. However, ください is also a standard polite expression and is the normal basic form for many action requests.
Can I use kudasai in a restaurant?
Yes. Both ラーメンをください and ラーメンをお願いします are understandable and natural. The latter may feel slightly softer as an order.
Can I say kudasai by itself?
It may be understood when the missing object is obvious, but it normally follows a noun or a verb’s て-form. To accept an offer with “Yes, please,” お願いします is more natural.
Why does kudasai follow the te-form?
The pattern Vてください asks the listener to kindly perform the action expressed by the verb. It does not attach directly to the dictionary form.
Is kudasai rude?
No. It is a polite request form. Still, a direct action request can sound firm depending on the relationship, tone, and amount of effort involved.
How do you say “please don’t” in Japanese?
Use Vないでください, as in 写真を撮らないでください, “Please do not take photos.”
How do you pronounce kudasai?
Pronounce it as four relatively even morae: ku-da-sa-i. Keep sa and i as separate beats.
Should I write ください or 下さい?
Hiragana ください is a safe general spelling, especially after a verb’s て-form. The kanji form 下さい is also seen when independently asking for something.
What is more casual than kudasai?
ちょうだい is a casual way to ask for something, while a verb’s て-form by itself can make a casual request, as in 見て, “Look.”
Summary: Kudasai Meaning and Kudasai vs Onegaishimasu
ください means “please give me” or “please do.”
● Asking for an item
[noun] + をください
水をください。
● Asking for an action
[verb て-form] + ください
待ってください。
● Asking someone not to act
[verb ない-form] + でください
入らないでください。
● Kudasai vs onegaishimasu
ください directly requests a named item or action.
お願いします presents an order, service, choice, arrangement, or entrusted request.
● When both work
コーヒーをください。
コーヒーをお願いします。
● When only kudasai works
待ってください。
● When onegaishimasu is natural
カードでお願いします。
「手伝いましょうか？」「お願いします。」
Noun + をください for something you want.
Verb て-form + ください for an action you want someone to do.
Then use お願いします for orders, offers, choices, services, and matters you place in someone else’s hands.
Related Article
If you want to compare all the common ways to make a request in Japanese in one place, see How to Ask for Something in Japanese: Polite and Casual Request Phrases.
References
- Digital Daijisen via goo Dictionary: ください — explains ください as the imperative form of くださる and its use to request objects or actions.
- The Japan Foundation, Minna no Kyozai: Vてください — beginner grammar explanations and examples of action requests.
- The Japan Foundation, Minna no Kyozai: を (object) — identifies the particle を in Nをください.
- The Japan Foundation, Irodori Grammar Notes — compares ください and お願いします when asking for desired items.