Both ください (kudasai) and おねがいします (onegaishimasu) are used to ask for a favor or request in Japanese, but they are formed differently and carry slightly different nuances. Still, their versatility — not to mention their relation to Japan’s culture of politeness and humility — is the reason you’ll find Japanese people using them a lot.
In essence, both words mean “please,” and it’s easy to use them interchangeably. Sure, in English, there’s only one way to say “please”, but in Japanese, it is a bit different. This little semantic difference is backed by years and years of cultural preference. Beyond a simple translation, they are selectively used depending on the tone, context, and sentence structure you’re going for.
So, what is the difference between kudasai and onegaishimasu? In this blog, we are breaking down each of the grammar’s meanings and explaining to you when and where you can use them!
Key Takeaway Between Kudasai and Onegaishimasu
While both ください (kudasai) and お願いします (onegaishimasu) are used for requests, their nuances differ. Kudasai is often more casual and can feel like giving an order or asking for something you’re entitled to, whereas onegaishimasu, derived from the verb “to wish,” is more polite and conveys a sense of humble asking.
Basically, you can think of kudasai as “Give me [this]” — used for things you feel entitled to or direct requests — while onegaishimasu is like “I humbly request [your favor]” — used for asking for services, favors, or when you want to be polite.
Another important point is what you’re asking for. Typically, ください is used for concrete items or actions, such as food, objects, or instructions, whereas お願いします is used for services, favors, or abstract requests, such as help, guidance, or someone doing something on your behalf.
Meaning of Kudasai and Onegaishimasu
Let’s take a look at each grammar in more detail.
1. Kudasai
ください or 下さい is derived from the verb くださる, which means to ”give me”. It is the humble honorific verb that means the same as くれる. Following this, ください is used when you want to get something from the other speaker or party. In English, we can translate it to “Please give me (this).” Thus, the verb is describing the action of the “requester.”
2. Onegaishimasu
On the other hand, おねがいします or お願いします comes from the word 願い (ねがい), which means “wish” or “hope”. When you use おねがいします, you are basically asking someone to humbly do you a favor. Think of it as describing the action of the requester. When used to tell someone to do something with おねがいします, it becomes less of a wish and more of an instruction (“to request”). When you are saying おねがいします, you are literally saying either “I’d like that” or “I beg of you.”
To get a better picture of how these two phrases differ, check out the example sentences.
ラーメンをひとつください。
Raamen o hitotsu kusasai.
Give me one (bowl) of ramen.
サラダをお願いします。
Sarada o onegaishimasu.
Salad, please.
Now that you know the literal meaning, let’s get into both words’ contextual implications.
Contextual Meaning of Kudasai (ください)
1. ください is used when asking something for yourself (or your group)
While these two words can be roughly translated as “please”, ください is used to make a request for something you are entitled to. In other words, you can’t use kudasai on someone’s behalf.
For example, Object をください translates to “Please give me Object.” Take a look at a simple example below.
A：これをください (Please give me this)。
B：はい (Yes)。
2. ください is used to ask someone who is equal to or below your social status
In Japan and its society, rank is important, and your position will determine the degree of politeness. This is why keigo (humble Japanese form used in business or work) is a big part of Japanese culture.
A teacher who is requesting something from their student will use ください instead of おねがいします because, having to bear the higher title, they can speak more casually. The same can be said when you are a guest (お客さま) ordering at a store or a restaurant.
You wouldn’t want to use “kudasai” to your manager or supervisor. Instead, you use it for making a request to a friend or someone who has a lower social status, like your こうはい (your junior at work or school).
鉛筆をください.
Enpitsu o kudasai.
Give me the pencil.
Notice that in these example sentences, ください feels more like a command, closer to an order. ください’s blatancy can feel awkward when it’s used to someone with a higher social status.
3. ください is used for only concrete or tangible things
You can only use ～をください for concrete things like physical items. For things like an understanding, explanation or other non-tangible requests, opt for おねがいします instead.
You can, however, tie the object with a verb (~te form) and add ください. Take a look at the example below.
説明を下さい。
Setsumei o kudasai.
Explain, please (wrong).
説明して下さい。
Setsumei shite kudasai.
Please explain (correct).
4. ください is more casual when requesting an object
Simply speaking, ください has a more casual (not to be mistaken as rude) tone than おねがいします. It implies a demand and want, rather than a wish or request.
In the same way Japanese men and women use different suffixes (kun, chan, or san) and first-and-second pronouns (watashi, ore, or boku), you’ll tend to hear men use ください more often than women.
水をください
Mizu o kudasai.
Give me (a glass of) water.
5. ください can be used to make formal commands
You can’t use onegaishimasu for commands, but you can use kudasai to do an action using the ~て formula. This is because “kudasai” can be used with a verb.
Keep in mind that ください is a less polite way of requesting an object (something tangible), but when it comes to making an order, it is considered polite. Take a look at the example below.
座ってください。
Suwatte kudasai.
Please take a seat.
食べてください。
Tabete kudasai.
Please eat.
ちょっと待ってください。
Chotto matte kudasai.
Please wait a moment.
To make the command more casual (be careful when using it), you can omit the ください.
ちょっと待ってね。
Chotto matte ne.
Wait.
Note that you can use a verb with onegaishimasu, but you have to change the verb into a noun. In this case, adding の (no) after it nominalizes a verb.
Contextual Meaning of Onegaishimasu (おねがいします)
1. おねがいします is used to make requests for someone who is higher than you or a stranger
Onegaishimasu has a more passive and humble tone to it. In fact, you’ll find おねがいします partnered together in other formal phrases: when you meet someone, when you reply to an email, or when you’re working together. It’s more commonly used to request a favor from a superior or someone you don’t know. This is because おねがいします is closer to “I beg of you” than “would you please.”
水をください。
Mizu o kudasai.
(Give me) water, please.
水をお願いします。
Mizu o onegaishimasu.
(A glass of) water, please.
Notice that in the example, kudasai feels more direct. This relates to Japanese culture. Japanese people are generally indirect communicators. They may be ambiguous when answering questions and making requests to prevent a loss of face or out of politeness. You can also use ‘kudasai’ for an item, but if you want to be more formal when requesting an object, use おねがいします instead.
If you want to be more humble, you’d say おねがいいたします. いたします is the most humble form of “do” or する.
3. おねがいします is used when you are requesting a service you can’t fulfill yourself
東京駅までお願いします。
Tokyo made onegaishimasu
To Tokyo Station, please.
When you’re requesting service for something you can’t do yourself, you mustn’t use kudasai. In the above situation, you can’t travel to Tokyo Station alone. Instead, you’re asking a taxi driver to do it for you.
4. おねがいします is used for asking to speak to someone on the phone
This is one of the situations where only おねがいします is used (the other being asking for a service). When asking to speak to someone on the phone, you can only use おねがいします. You can’t ask someone to “give” you a person.
田中さんお願いします。
Tanaka san onegaishimasu.
May I speak to Mr. Tanaka?
Similarly, you can’t ask someone using kudasai as it is considered rude. It can give off the meaning, “Give me Tanaka-san.”
5. おねがいします can be used to request abstract objects
～をお願いします can be used when you ask for abstract or non-tangible things. This includes explanations, understanding, or cooperation.
One of the examples is an expression you’d often hear on train platforms or informal announcements.
ご協力をおねがいします。
Gokyouryoku o onegaishimasu.
We ask for your cooperation.
ご理解をおねがいします。
Gorikai o onegaishimasu.
We ask for your understanding.
Note that we use “go” ご to add a feeling of politeness. In Japanese, it is common to use the prefixes お and ご when using keigo. If you want to know more about them, check our introduction to Japanese honorific and humble form here.
How to Use Kudasai (ください)
Noun + を + ください
Kudasai (ください) is put after an object and its o particle (を).
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| スタンプ(を)ください。 | sutanpu (o) kudasai | Stamp, please. |
| カフェラテ(を)ください。 | kaferate (o) kudasai | (One) caffe latte, please. |
| おかわり(を)ください。 | okawari (o) kudasai | Please refill. |
It’s common in everyday conversation to skip the o (を) particle when using ください.
Verb ~て + ください
For this, you will need to know how to conjugate Japanese verbs into ~te (~て). There are three different conjugation groups, with some irregular verbs that have exceptions to the て form rules. If you haven’t learned them already, we’ve made a separate blog post on how to transform a verb into a ~te verb, complete with handy illustrated cards.
How to Use Onegaishimasu (おねがいします)
Noun + を + おねがいします
Similar to kudasai, おねがいします follows the o particle (を) and the object of the sentence. Remember that while you can replace ください with おねがいします, it depends on the context and social circumstances.
を in ～をおねがいします can be skipped, particularly in spoken conversations.
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| 予約をお願いします。 | yoyaku o onegaishimasu | I want to make a reservation, please. |
| 電話をお願いします。 | denwa o onegaishimasu | Please make a phone call. |
| メニューをお願いします。 | menyuu o onegaishimasu | (I want to see) the menu, please. |
おねがいします can stand alone
はい、お願いします。
Yes, please.
宜しくお願いします。
Yoroshiku onegaishimasu. This phrase roughly translates to “I hope things go well” or “I hope you treat me well”.
There are a number of ways to translate the meaning of よろしくおねがいします, but the important point to note is that it is not said with regard to something that has already happened. Instead, it is used as an expression of gratitude, apology, explanation, or expression of something that will happen in the future.
Nominalized verb + おねがいします
To do this, use a plain-form verb and attach it to a の (no)
| Verb | Plain form | Verb to noun |
|---|---|---|
| to eat | たべる | たべるの |
| to drink | のむ | のむの |
| to seat | すわる | すわるの |
| to go | いく | いくの |
| to read | よむ | よむの |
Conclusion
Ultimately, both are equivalent to “please”, so you’re not going to be wrong no matter which one you use. Just remember that kudasai can be used for a te-form verb. Once you find your footing and preference, using them will be a breeze.
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FAQ
How do you use ください in Japanese?
”ください” is used to politely request something, like saying “please give me” or “please do” in English.
How to use まで in a sentence?
“まで” means “until” or “up to” and marks the endpoint of time, place, or quantity (e.g., 5時まで = until 5 o’clock).
Do you use ください when ordering food?
Yes, you can use “ください” when ordering food to politely ask for a menu item (e.g., ラーメンをください = Ramen, please).
Why do girls say やめてください?
“やめてください” means “please stop,” and girls (or anyone) use it to politely ask someone to stop doing something unwanted.
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