honorific N4 common politewritten sonkeigo (respectful)
お〜ください — please do ~
お〜ください
Builds on 連用形(ます形)
Meaning
- the honorific (尊敬語) request 'please do ~' — a more formal, deferential way of asking than 〜てください
Key sentence
少々お待ちください。
Please wait a moment.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| お + verb's masu-stem + ください (ご + する-noun + ください for kango) | お + [masu-stem] + ください | 掛ける → おかけください |
When: Common in announcements, signage and customer service; more formal and deferential than 〜てください.
Examples
こちらにお名前をお書きください。
Please write your name here.
どうぞお入りください。
Please come in.
足元にご注意ください。
Please watch your step.
When you can't use it
- Built on the same suppletion rules as お〜になる: verbs with a lexical honorific use that stem instead (見る → ご覧ください, 来る → お越しください/いらしてください, not ×お見ください).
Easily confused with
See お〜ください in real sentences
Jengo shows お〜ください the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.