Please (Honorific) - お/ご〜ください

Meaning & Usage

The grammar pattern お/ご〜ください offers a highly polite and respectful way to ask someone to do something. While the basic imperative form 〜てください also means "please do X," お/ご〜ください significantly elevates the level of respect shown to the listener. This makes the request sound much more formal, humble, and refined.

It's more than a simple request; it carries a nuance akin to "Would you kindly/respectfully do X for me?" or "I would be grateful if you would do X." For example, a store clerk might say 「少々しょうしょうお待まちくださいませ」 (Please wait a moment) to a customer.

You'll commonly encounter お/ご〜ください in formal settings, customer service interactions, official announcements, and business communications. It's also used in situations where there's a clear hierarchy, or when there's a need to show utmost respect to the listener. Consider scenarios like a staff member addressing a superior, or a public announcement guiding a crowd. This pattern is all about conveying deference and politeness, making the request less direct and more gentle, yet still clear in its expectation.

Compared to the English "Please do X," which can range from very casual to somewhat formal depending on context and tone, お/ご〜ください consistently signals a high degree of politeness and formality. It's a standard expression of sonkeigo (敬語 - honorific language) specifically for making requests. Understanding its usage is essential for navigating polite social interactions in Japan, particularly in public or professional environments.

Think of it as a respectful invitation for the listener to perform an action, acknowledging their status or position. This pattern is not typically used among close friends or family, unless there's a specific reason for formality or humor. For example, you wouldn't tell a friend 「気きを付つけてお帰かえりください」; instead, 「気きを付つけて帰かえってね」 would be more natural.

The choice between お and ご depends on the origin of the word it precedes. Generally, お is used with native Japanese words (和語 - wago), especially verb stems. In contrast, ご is used with words of Chinese origin (漢語 - kango), often nouns that can form suru-verbs. Mastering this distinction is a key aspect of using honorifics correctly.

Structure & Formation

The formation of お/ご〜ください follows a specific pattern based on the type of word it attaches to:

1. For native Japanese verbs (和語 - wago)

Use お followed by the verb stem (連用形 - ren'yōkei), which is the ます-stem form without ます.

2. For Sino-Japanese nouns (漢語 - kango) that form suru-verbs

Use ご followed by the noun part of the suru-verb.

Important Exceptions: While the お/ご distinction is generally reliable, some words are exceptions to this rule. For instance, 電話でんわ (Chinese origin) typically takes お (お電話おでんわください) instead of ご電話ごでんわください. Furthermore, some verbs do not take this form at all and require entirely different honorific verbs. For example, instead of お食べおたべください for 食たべる (to eat), you would use 召めし上あがってください.

Example Sentences

Formal Requests & Instructions

Requests for Information or Assistance

Common Set Phrases / Special Cases

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Using お/ご with verbs that do not take this form

Not all verbs can be directly transformed into the お/ご〜ください form. Some common verbs have dedicated honorific forms or simply use 〜てください.

❌ このパンをお食べおたべください。

✅ このパンを召めし上あがってください。

Explanation: For verbs like 食たべる (to eat) or 飲のむ (to drink), special honorific verbs such as 召めし上あがる are used instead of applying お〜ください. Similarly, for 寝ねる (to sleep), you might say お休おやすみください (from 休やすむ, which is common) or the honorific verb お休おやすみになられる.

Mistake 2: Confusing お and ご

The distinction between お (for native Japanese words) and ご (for Sino-Japanese words) can be challenging.

❌ ご読よみください。

✅ お読みおよみください。

Explanation: 読よむ is a native Japanese verb, so it correctly takes お. Conversely, for a word like 確認かくにん (Sino-Japanese origin), the correct form is ご確認くださいごかくにんください, not お確認おかくにんください. While there are a few exceptions (like お電話おでんわください), generally adhering to this rule is the best approach.

Mistake 3: Using お/ご〜ください for your own actions

Honorific language is used to elevate the listener or a third party, not oneself. Using お/ご〜ください to describe your own actions would be incorrect and sound extremely arrogant.

❌ 私わたしは今いまからお話はなししください。

✅ 今いまからお話おはなしします。

Explanation: When discussing your own actions in a polite context, you should use humble language (謙譲語 - kenjōgo) or polite language (丁寧語 - teineigo), such as the simple ます form. You would never use an honorific request form for yourself.

Mistake 4: Overusing it in casual contexts

Using お/ご〜ください in a casual setting, such as with close friends or family, can sound overly formal, stiff, or even sarcastic.

❌ (To a friend) 気きを付つけてお帰かえりください。

✅ (To a friend) 気きを付つけて帰かえってね。

Explanation: For friends and family, the plain 〜てね or 〜てください (if a bit polite) is more appropriate. The high formality of お/ご〜ください is reserved for situations where respect and a certain distance are maintained.

Cultural Notes

In Japanese society, showing respect and maintaining harmonious relationships are of utmost importance. The pattern お/ご〜ください plays an essential role in this by offering a polite and indirect way to make requests. This is especially true when addressing superiors, customers, or people you don't know well. Its use demonstrates that the speaker is mindful of the listener's status and is making an effort to be courteous.

You will commonly hear this expression in public spaces. For example, at train stations, you might hear 「白線はくせんの内側うちがわにお下さがりください」 (Please stand behind the white line). In department stores, announcements like 「こちらでお待まちください」 (Please wait here) are common, and restaurants might state 「お飲のみ物ものはご自由じゆうにお取とりください」 (Please feel free to take any drinks). It's also prevalent in written instructions and official documents.

The nuance conveyed isn't just politeness; it also implies a slight social distance. It feels less demanding than a direct command and more like a respectful invitation. Understanding when and where to use it, along with recognizing its alternatives, is key to sounding natural and culturally aware in Japanese interactions.

JLPT Tips

For the JLPT N3 exam, being able to recognize and correctly apply お/ご〜ください is crucial in both the grammar and reading sections. Here are some tips to help you:

First, always pay close attention to the context of the sentence. Is it a formal announcement? A customer service interaction? A business letter? These contexts are strong indicators that honorifics like お/ご〜ください are appropriate. If the setting is informal, then 〜てください is usually the correct choice.

Second, remember the distinction between お and ご. While there are exceptions, the general rule of native Japanese verbs taking お and Sino-Japanese nouns (for suru-verbs) taking ご serves as a reliable guide. Practice identifying the origin of common verbs and nouns to solidify this knowledge.

Third, be aware of verbs that have special honorific forms and do not follow the お/ご〜ください pattern directly. Examples include 召めし上あがる for 食たべる or いらっしゃるいらっしゃる for 来くる/行いく/いるいる. These specific honorifics will often appear in listening comprehension or grammar questions, so memorizing them is beneficial.

Finally, practice transforming plain verbs into their お/ご〜ください forms. This will help you internalize the formation rules and identify common mistakes, such as an incorrect choice of お or ご, or applying the pattern to inappropriate verbs. Regularly listening to Japanese media that features formal speech will also significantly enhance your natural understanding and usage of this grammar point.