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JLPT N4Expressions

てくれない— Won't you do (for me) / casual request

A casual request asking someone to do something for the speaker. Slightly softer than てください.

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Pro lessonUNIT 102 · EXPRESSIONS

Structure · 形

[Verb te-form] + くれない？

Examples · 例文

  • ちょっと手伝ってくれない？

    Chotto tetsudatte kurenai?

    Could you help me out a bit?

    手伝って + くれない？ = casual request for help

  • これを運んでくれない？

    Kore o hakonde kurenai?

    Could you carry this?

    運んで + くれない？ = casual request

  • 駅までいっしょに来てくれない？

    Eki made issho ni kite kurenai?

    Could you come with me to the station?

    来て + くれない？ = casual request to come along

Usage notes · 注意

  • Key Concept: てくれない is a casual request (used with peers/close relations).
  • More polite: てくれませんか → ていただけませんか.
  • Summary: The negative くれない literally means "won't you give (me the favor)" — the negative question form makes it a softer request rather than a demand.

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones てくれない is tested against.

vsてください

てください is a polite direct request/instruction; てくれない is casual and, as a negative question, feels softer and more like asking a favor between friends.

vsてもらえない？

てもらえない？ ("could I get you to...") frames the favor from the speaker's receiving side; てくれない？ frames it from the giver's side. Both are casual and close in nuance.

vsてくれる？

The affirmative てくれる？ is a lighter, more direct casual ask; the negative てくれない？ sounds a touch softer and more considerate.

More expressions

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