JLPT N5 Grammar: 〜てください (te‑kudasai) — Polite Requests

JLPT N5 Grammar: 〜てください

Polite requests — “please do ~”

JLPTジェイエルピーティー N5エヌゴ文法ぶんぽう〜てください解説かいせつ (依頼いらい・指示しじ)

⏱️ Study time: 4–6 minutes

〜てください is the standard way to make a polite request in Japanese. It attaches to the te‑form of a verb and means “please do ~”. Mastering this pattern lets you ask for directions, order food, request help, and give instructions politely.

🚀 JLPT N5 Warm-up Quiz

Q: How do you say “Please wait a moment” politely?

Answer: A (待ってください). The te‑form of 待つ is 待って, not 待つ or 待ち. ください always follows the te‑form.

Quick Summary

Grammar Point
〜てください

Meaning
Please do (polite request)

Pattern
Verb te‑form + ください

Example
名前なまえを書かいてください。なまえをかいてください。Namae o kaite kudasai.
Please write your name.

📝 Core Pattern

Polite request: Verb (te‑form) + ください

Negative request (polite): Verb (nai‑form without い) + でください

Casual request: Verb (te‑form) alone (e.g., 待まって)

⚠️ ください comes from the verb くださる (to give — humble). It literally means "give me the favour of doing ~".

🧠 Need the te‑form first? See て形 (te‑form) →

💡 Toggle furigana, hiragana, or romaji for easier reading.

What is 〜てください?

〜てください is the standard polite request form. It attaches to the te‑form of a verb and expresses a polite instruction or request. Whether you're asking someone to wait, to write their name, or to pass something, てください is the go‑to pattern.

Always follows the te‑form of the verb.
For negative requests, use ないでください (please don't do).
In casual speech, the te‑form alone is enough (待まって = Wait).

日本語にほんごで話はなしてください。にほんごではなしてください。Nihongo de hanashite kudasai.
Please speak in Japanese.

⚡ How to Form 〜てください

Verb	Te‑form	+ ください	Meaning
書かく (kaku)	書かいて	書かいてください	Please write
待まつ (matsu)	待まって	待まってください	Please wait
飲のむ (nomu)	飲のんで	飲のんでください	Please drink
食たべる (taberu)	食たべて	食たべてください	Please eat
する (suru)	して	してください	Please do
来くる (kuru)	来きて	来きてください	Please come

⚠️ Fake ichidan warning: Verbs like 帰かえる, 入はいる, 切きる are Group 1. Their te‑forms are 帰って, 入って, 切って → 帰ってください, 入ってください, 切ってください.

Examples & Mini Dialogue

すみません、もう一度いちど言いってください。すみません、もういちどいってください。Sumimasen, mō ichido itte kudasai.
Excuse me, please say that once more.

✅ 言う (to say) → te‑form 言って + ください.

どうぞ入はいってください。どうぞはいってください。Dōzo haitte kudasai.
Please come in. (offering)

🗣️ Mini Dialogue
A: ここに名前なまえと住所じゅうしょを書かいてください。ここになまえとじゅうしょをかいてください。Koko ni namae to jūsho o kaite kudasai.
B: はい、わかりました。
(Yes, understood.)

⚡ Polite vs Casual Requests

Form	Politeness	Usage	Example
てください	Polite	Strangers, superiors, formal situations	待まってください
て (alone)	Casual	Close friends, family, informal	待まって
ないでください	Polite negative	Please don't do ~	行いかないでください
ないで (alone)	Casual negative	Don't do ~ (informal)	行いかないで

Common Mistakes (and Fixes)

✕ 待つください (using dictionary form)

✓ 待ってください (te‑form + ください)

✕ 帰てください (incorrect te‑form of fake ichidan)

✓ 帰ってください (帰る is Group 1)

✕ 食べるください (dictionary form + ください)

✓ 食べてください (te‑form required)

✕ 書きますください (ます form + ください)

✓ 書いてください (only the te‑form before ください)

JLPT N5 Practice Questions

Score: 0 / 3

1. How do you say “Please eat” politely?

2. What is the polite negative request of 行いく (go)?

3. 帰かえる (to return) is a fake ichidan verb. Choose the correct request form.

🎯 JLPT N5 tip: てください is one of the most frequently tested patterns at N5. Listen for it in the audio section and recognise that the te‑form must come before ください — no dictionary form, no ます form.

Test yourself with a free mock exam →

About the Instructor

Taught by Anup Sensei at Gogaku Language & Training Center in Pokhara. With real Japan experience and a focus on exam essentials, he helps students pass the JLPT with confidence.

Related Grammar

Frequently Asked Questions

Is てください always polite?

Yes, てください is polite. However, it can sound a bit direct or commanding in some contexts. To soften it, you can add すみませんが or use the negative question form 〜てくれませんか.

What's the difference between てください and てくれませんか?

てください is a direct polite request. 〜てくれませんか is even more polite — it's a negative question ("Won't you do ~ for me?"). For example, 手伝てつだってくれませんか (Could you help me?) is softer than 手伝てつだってください.

Can I use てください with nouns?

No. てください only attaches to verbs. With nouns, you can use をください to ask for an object (e.g., 水みずをください = Water, please).

Continue Learning

Next: てもいいですか — asking for permission politely.

Learn てもいいですか →

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