てください (te kudasai)

Related patterns8

Similar

ていただけませんか
てください instructs, and points downward. ていただけませんか asks whether the favor is possible, and is what goes upward.
をください
Nをください asks for a thing, and can drop を in quick orders (コーヒーください). てください asks for an action, and never drops its て.
なさい
なさい orders from a real height, parent to child or teacher to student. てください asks with no claim to rank at all.
お〜ください
お〜ください outranks てください, but stays a direct order (お待まちください). For a truly soft ask, use ていただけますか instead (待まっていただけますか).

Opposite

ないでくださいplain-antonym
てください asks the listener to act. ないでください asks them to stop, and always joins with で, never て (×なくてください).

Lookalikes

Same meaning6

please do; could you

をくださいplease give meattaches at
ないでくださいplease don't doattaches at
お〜くださいplease do (honorific request)attaches at
お〜願ねがうkindly do — a distanced, institutional request (announcements, business writing)attaches at
ていただけませんかcould you please do (for me)? — a humble request, easy to declineattaches at
てくれませんかwon't you do (for me)? — a casual request among equalsattaches at

All examples6

please do — a request the listener could decline

すみません、もう一度いちどゆっくり話はなしてください。
sumimasen, mou ichido yukkuri hanashite kudasai.
Excuse me, please say that again slowly. neutral
ねえ、あとでその写真しゃしん、送おくって！
nee, ato de sono shashin, okutte!
Hey, send me that photo later! casual
お手数てすうですが、こちらの書類しょるいに署名しょめいしてくださいませんか。
otesuu desu ga, kochira no shorui ni shomei shite kudasaimasen ka.
Sorry for the trouble, but would you please sign this document? formal

do this — a step in instructions, like a recipe or directions

ボウルに卵たまごを入いれて、よく混まぜてください。
bouru ni tamago o irete, yoku mazete kudasai.
Put the eggs in the bowl and mix them well. neutral
次つぎの信号しんごうを右みぎに曲まがってください。
tsugi no shingou o migi ni magatte kudasai.
Turn right at the next set of lights. neutral
毎日まいにちこの花はなに水みずをあげてください。
mainichi kono hana ni mizu o agete kudasai.
Every day, please give these flowers some water. neutral

How it's formed1

All forms1

てくださいませんかtekudasaimasenkaformal
味あじわってくださいませんか
negative question softens the instruction into a request — 待まってくださいませんか

Notes

Casual speech amputates ください entirely and the bare て-form carries the request alone (ちょっと待まって！) — that clipped て is this pattern, not a stray conjugation.