ますように details
write + may it turn out that — a wish sent out to nobody in particular
kaki masu you ni
may it turn out that — a wish sent out to nobody in particular
meaning: I hope you write
無理しないでね。早くよくなりますように。
muri shinaide ne. hayaku yokunari masu you ni.
Don't push yourself — I hope you get better soon. casual
来年も家族みんなが元気で過ごせますように。
rainen mo kazoku minna ga genki de sugosemasu you ni.
May my whole family stay well through next year too. neutral
- alternant
Examples
may it turn out that — a wish or prayer, spoken to nobody or written where a wish is left
無理しないでね。早くよくなりますように。
muri shinaide ne. hayaku yokunarimasuyouni.
Don't push yourself — I hope you get better soon. casual
来年も家族みんなが元気で過ごせますように。
rainen mo kazoku minna ga genki de sugosemasu you ni.
May my whole family stay well through next year too. neutral
明日の遠足、雨が降りませんように。
ashita no ensoku, ame ga furimasen you ni.
Please don't let it rain on tomorrow's outing. casual
皆様にとって実り多い一年となりますように。
minasama ni totte minori ooi ichinen to narimasu you ni.
May the year ahead be a fruitful one for you all. formal
Formation
{V-masu-stem}ますようにattaches to ます-stem
Variant notes
- ませんように — the negative wish, and the ます stays even here — 二度と同じことが起こりませんように。
Notes
friends and children use it too. Nothing follows the ように but a quotative
と＋祈る／願う — purpose ように rides the plain form and hosts no ます at all.
Related patterns
Similar
といいね puts the hope into a conversation and invites the listener to agree; ますように is addressed to nobody present — a prayer, a wish written on a tablet, a send-off — and it keeps ます even between close friends, because the politeness faces fate rather than the listener.
Lookalikes
Both voice a want, but たい names something the speaker can go and do (試験を受けたい) while ますように wishes for what nobody can bring about — 受かりますように prays for the result, 受けたい only announces the intention to sit it.
Same ように, opposite ends of the sentence — purpose ように rides a plain form and needs a main clause after it (間に合うように急いだ), while ますように rides ます and closes the sentence with nothing following.
Same tail, opposite force — 風邪をひかないように tells the listener to take care, 風邪をひきませんように asks fate and instructs nobody; only the first can be answered with はい.