Japanese from zero · N4 Lesson 4
Could you… please let me
〜て いただけませんか ・ お〜ください ・ お〜に なる ・ 〜させて ください
In this lesson, you will learn to ask for something very politely, to ask a customer to do something the way staff do, to talk respectfully about what a customer or a boss does, and to ask someone to let you do something. At café みどり, a customer is not happy with her coffee, and Lisa asks the manager to let her try.
By the end you will be able to say
もう 一度 言って いただけませんか。Could you say that once more?
少し お待ちください。Please wait a moment.
ミルクを お使いに なりますか。Will you use milk?
お客さまは もう お帰りに なりました。The customer has already gone home.
私に コーヒーを 作らせて ください。Please let me make the coffee.
The grammar in this lesson
- Could you please…? 〜て いただけませんか — て-form + いただけませんか is a very polite way to ask someone to do something for you.
- Please, the shop way: お〜ください — お + the ます-stem + ください is the polite way staff ask a customer to do something.
- Respectful verbs: お〜に なる — お + the ます-stem + に なります raises what a customer or a boss does.
- Please let me: 〜させて ください — The causative て-form + ください asks someone to let you do something.