Say Like a Local

Polite Ways to Say "Please" in Japanese

The standard polite all-purpose word is お願いします (onegai shimasu). When asking a superior or stranger for a favor, it sounds softer to use 〜ていただけますか or to begin with 恐れ入りますが.

The most common way

onegai shimasu

Please; I'd like to ask you a favor.

How to say it: Say it as o-ne-GAI shi-ma-su: stress GAI, keep the final “su” short, and do not pronounce it like English “soo.”

Other ways to say it

  • formal

    onegai itashimasu

    A humble, formal “please” used in business and customer service.

    When to use it: Use it with clients, senior colleagues, or in formal emails and announcements.

  • polite request

    〜

    ~te itadakemasu ka

    Could you please do ~? A polite request that softens an order.

    When to use it: Use it when asking a boss, colleague, or stranger to do something for you.

  • very polite

    〜

    ~te itadakemasen ka

    Would you be so kind as to do ~? More hesitant and formal than ていただけますか.

    When to use it: Use it for a bigger or more sensitive favor, especially in formal situations.

  • tactful opener

    osore irimasu ga

    I'm sorry to trouble you, but...; a very polite lead-in before a request.

    When to use it: Use it at the start of a request to a customer, superior, or someone you do not know well.

  • softener

    sashitsukae nakereba

    If it's not too much trouble; if it doesn't inconvenience you.

    When to use it: Use it when you want to give the other person room to refuse a request.

  • formal closing

    yoroshiku onegai itashimasu

    Thank you in advance; please treat this favorably. A formal set phrase.

    When to use it: Use it in business emails, at the end of a request, or when meeting a client.

In a conversation

  1. A

    、。

    Osore irimasu ga, kono shorui o kakunin shite itadakemasu ka.

    I'm sorry to trouble you, but could you please check this document?

  2. B

    、。。

    Hai, shōchi itashimashita. Shōshō omachi kudasai.

    Yes, understood. Please wait a moment.

  3. A

    。。

    Arigatō gozaimasu. Onegai itashimasu.

    Thank you. I appreciate it.

Common mistakes

  • これを確認してください。 → こちらをご確認いただけますか。

    The direct 〜てください can sound like an order to a superior; いただけますか is a polite request.