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JLPT N5Expressions

をください / をお願いします— Please give me

をください is a polite request meaning "please give me [item]." Used when ordering food, shopping, or requesting things. をお願いします is slightly more polite/formal and also works for requesting a service.

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Pro lessonUNIT 43 · EXPRESSIONS

Structure · 形

[Item] を ください / お願いします

Examples · 例文

  • コーヒーをください。

    Koohii wo kudasai.

    Please give me coffee. / Coffee, please.

    コーヒー (coffee) + を + ください (please give)

  • この書類のコピーをお願いします。

    Kono shorui no kopii wo onegai shimasu.

    Please make a copy of this document.

    を + お願いします (please [do this for me])

  • もう少し時間をください。

    Mou sukoshi jikan wo kudasai.

    Please give me a little more time.

    時間 (time) + をください (politely asking for time)

Usage notes · 注意

  • ください alone after a te-form = "please do": 食べてください (please eat).
  • Detail: をください = "please give me [thing]." Politeness hierarchy: をくれ (blunt, very casual) < をください (polite) < をいただけますか (very polite request).
  • In restaurants: 〜をひとつください (one of __, please).

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones をください is tested against.

vsてください

てください requests an ACTION (attaches to a verb te-form); をください requests an OBJECT (a noun) — 'please give me X'.

vsをお願いします

More polite/formal than をください; also used to request a SERVICE or task, not just a physical item.

vsがほしい

がほしい states your own desire ('I want X'); をください directly requests it from the listener ('please give me X').

More expressions

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