Polite instructions: お〜ください and ご〜ください
Signs, staff and announcements tell you what to do with お〜ください and ご〜ください. They're longer than 〜てください but mean the same thing. Spot the verb in the middle and you'll understand most notices. Tap to hear any line. The bar at the bottom plays a hands-free drill for walking.
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25 polite instructions
Each card shows the everyday verb, the polite instruction and a line from a sign, a counter or a station. The last two are polite requests for you to use. Ten reuse words from earlier lessons and courses.
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How polite instructions work
Take the stem (the part before ます), put お in front and ください after. する-nouns take ご instead. A few common verbs have their own form.
| Verb | Polite instruction | Plain version |
|---|
- On a sign, it means "don't". is literally "please hold back". On a notice it means "not allowed".
- This is for staff to say. When you ask someone, use from Everyday Japanese 4:
- お or ご? お goes with Japanese verbs (), ご with する-nouns (). is a common exception.
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Four patterns to use today
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Say it in Japanese
Say each one out loud before you reveal the answer. Getting close counts.