Similar to asking for favors, which we learned in the last lesson, there are also various ways to make requests in Japanese. This is effectively the Japanese way of saying, “please do X”. We’ll first learn the most common way to make requests using a special conjugation of the verb \u300c\u304f\u3060\u3055\u308b<\/span>\u300d and the firmer \u300c\u306a\u3055\u308b<\/span>\u300d. Finally, we’ll learn the rarely used excessively strong command form for the sake of completeness. You can safely skip the last part unless you’re an avid reader of manga.<\/p>\n \u300c\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044<\/span>\u300d is a special conjugation of \u300c\u304f\u3060\u3055\u308b<\/span>\u300d, which is the honorific form of \u300c\u304f\u308c\u308b<\/span>\u300d. We will learn more about honorific and humble forms in the beginning of the next major section. We are going over \u300c\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044<\/span>\u300d here because it has a slight difference in meaning from the normal \u300c\u304f\u308c\u308b<\/span>\u300d and the honorific \u300c\u304f\u3060\u3055\u308b<\/span>\u300d. \u300c\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044<\/span>\u300d is different from \u300c\u304f\u308c\u308b<\/span>\u300d in the following fashion:<\/p>\n As you can see \u300c\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044<\/span>\u300d is a direct request for something while \u300c\u304f\u308c\u308b<\/span>\u300d is used as a question asking for someone to give something. However, it is similar to \u300c\u304f\u308c\u308b<\/span>\u300d in that you can make a request for an action by simply attaching it to the te-form of the verb.<\/p>\n The rules for negative requests are same as the rules for \u300c\u304f\u308c\u308b<\/span>\u300d as well.<\/p>\n In casual speech, it is often common to simply drop the \u300c\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044<\/span>\u300d part.<\/p>\n For those who want to sound particularly commanding and manly, it is also possible to use \u300c\u304f\u308c\u308b<\/span>\u300d with the \u300c\u308b\u300d removed.<\/p>\n Because \u300c\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044<\/span>\u300d like the masu-form must always come at the end sentence or a relative clause, you cannot use it to directly modify a noun. For example, the following is not possible with \u300c\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044<\/span>\u300d.<\/p>\n Of course, since direct quotes is merely repeating something someone said in verbatim, you can put practically anything in a direct quote.<\/p>\n A casual alternative of \u300c\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044<\/span>\u300d is \u300c\u3061\u3087\u3046\u3060\u3044<\/span>\u300d. While it can be used by anyone, it has a slightly feminine and childish nuance and is always written in Hiragana. Written in Kanji, it is usually used in a very formal expression such as \u300c\u9802\u6234<\/span>\u81f4\u3057\u307e\u3059<\/span>\u300d. Grammatically, it’s used exactly the same way as \u300c\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044<\/span>\u300d.<\/p>\n \u300c\u306a\u3055\u3044<\/span>\u300d is a special honorific conjugation of \u300c\u3059\u308b<\/span>\u300d. It is a soft yet firm way of issuing a command. It is used, for example, when a mother is scolding her child or when a teacher wants a delinquent student to pay attention. Unlike \u300c\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044<\/span>\u300d, \u300c\u306a\u3055\u3044<\/span>\u300d only applies to positive verbs and uses the stem of the verb instead of the te-form. It also cannot be used by itself but must be attached to another verb.<\/p>\n You can also drop \u300c\u3055\u3044\u300d portion of the \u300c\u306a\u3055\u3044<\/span>\u300d to make a casual version of this grammar.<\/p>\n We will go over the command form in the interest of covering all the possible verb conjugations. In reality, the command form is rarely used as Japanese people tend to be too polite to use imperatives. Also, this coarse type of speech is rarely, if indeed at all, used by females who tend to use \u300c\u306a\u3055\u3044<\/span>\u300d or an exasperated \u300c\u304f\u308c\u308b<\/span>\u300d when angry or irritated. This form is only really useful for reading or watching fictional works. You may often see or hear \u300c\u6b7b\u306d<\/span>\uff01\u300d (“Die!”) in fiction which, of course, you’ll never hear in real life. (I hope!)<\/p>\n \nBe sure to note that, in addition to the familiar \u300c\u3059\u308b<\/span>\u300d, \u300c\u304f\u308b<\/span>\u300d exception verbs, \u300c\u304f\u308c\u308b<\/span>\u300d is also an exception for the command form.\n<\/p>\n\u300c\uff5e\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044<\/span>\u300d\uff0d a special conjugation of \u300c\u304f\u3060\u3055\u308b<\/span>\u300d<\/h2>\n
Vocabulary<\/h3>\n
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\nPlease give me that.\n<\/li>\n
\nCan you give me that?\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
\nPlease write it in kanji.\n<\/li>\n
\nPlease speak slowly.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
\nPlease don’t write graffiti.\n<\/li>\n
\nPlease don’t come here.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
\nPlease speak in Japanese.\n<\/li>\n
\nPlease lend me the eraser.\n<\/li>\n
\nPlease don’t go to a far place.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
\nSpeak in Japanese.\n<\/li>\n
\nLend me the eraser.\n<\/li>\n
\nDon’t go to a far place.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
\nThe clock that father gave broke.\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
\nFather said, “Please give me that.”\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nUsing \u300c\uff5e\u3061\u3087\u3046\u3060\u3044<\/span>\u300d as a casual request<\/h2>\n
Vocabulary<\/h3>\n
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Examples<\/h3>\n
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\nPlease give me the spoon.\n<\/li>\n
\nPlease write your name here.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nUsing \u300c\uff5e\u306a\u3055\u3044<\/span>\u300d to make firm but polite requests<\/h2>\n
Vocabulary<\/h3>\n
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\nExamples<\/p>\n\n
\u308b<\/strike><\/em><\/span> \u2192 \u98df\u3079<\/span>\u306a\u3055\u3044<\/span><\/em><\/li>\n\u3080<\/strike><\/em><\/span> \u2192 \u98f2\u307f<\/em><\/span> \u2192 \u98f2\u307f<\/span>\u306a\u3055\u3044<\/span><\/em><\/li>\nExamples<\/h3>\n
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\nListen well!\n<\/li>\n
\nSit here.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n
\nThere’s still a lot, so eat a lot.\n<\/li>\n
\nIf you think that’s fine, then go ahead and do it.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nThe Command Form<\/h2>\n
Vocabulary<\/h3>\n
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\n Plain<\/th>\n Command<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u98df\u3079\u308b<\/em><\/span><\/td>\n \u98df\u3079\u308d<\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u7740\u308b<\/em><\/span><\/td>\n \u7740\u308d<\/em><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n \u4fe1\u3058\u308b<\/em><\/span><\/td>\n \u4fe1\u3058