Onegaishimasu: Four Small Requests You Can Make in Japanese
Written with AI assistance.
You have chosen a snack, didn’t catch a meeting time, or climbed into a taxi. In each case, お願いします (onegaishimasu) can help you make a polite request. But English “please” has several jobs, and Japanese does not use this one expression for all of them. Start with a clear situation and a complete phrase.
1. Choosing an item at a convenience store
You have picked out a snack. Show the clerk which item you mean and say:
これを おねがいします。
Kore o onegaishimasu.
“This one, please.”
これ means “this,” and を marks the item you are requesting. In this situation, you are asking for the item you have identified. If two similar products are beside each other, pointing clearly or showing the label helps. The phrase cannot tell the clerk which one you mean by itself.
You may also hear これをください (kore o kudasai). Both expressions can be used to request an item; you do not need to treat ください as a rude word.
2. Accepting an offer to heat your food
You are buying a bento, and the clerk asks whether you would like it heated:
温めますか？
Atatamemasu ka?
“Would you like this heated?”
If you want that service, answer:
はい、お願いします。
Hai, onegaishimasu.
“Yes, please.”
You can leave out the food and the action because the clerk has just named the offer. Listen to the question before using this reply: it accepts what was offered. It is not a general response meaning “I understand.”
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3. Asking someone to repeat a time
A friend tells you tomorrow’s meeting time, but you miss the number. Instead of nodding and guessing, try:
すみません。もう一度、お願いします。
Sumimasen. Mō ichido, onegaishimasu.
“Sorry, once more, please.”
もう一度 means “once more.” The recent conversation makes it clear that you want the words repeated. This is useful when you did not catch what was said. If the words themselves are unfamiliar, repetition alone may not solve the problem; you can ask about the word you do not understand.
4. Giving a taxi driver your destination
You get into a taxi in Kyoto and want to go to Kyoto Station:
京都駅まで、お願いします。
Kyōto-eki made, onegaishimasu.
“To Kyoto Station, please.”
まで marks the destination here. Replace 京都駅 with the place you want to reach, and keep the rest of the pattern. For a hotel or a particular station entrance, showing the address or a map pin can make the destination clearer. The driver still needs to know exactly where you want to go.
Where “please” needs a different pattern
For “Please wait,” a useful beginner phrase is 待ってください (matte kudasai). It uses the verb’s て-form followed by ください. Learn that whole construction rather than mechanically replacing ください with お願いします.
Try a two-minute practice
Put three objects on a table. Point to one and say これを おねがいします。 Next, imagine someone offering to do something for you, and answer はい、お願いします。 Finally, choose a destination and say its name followed by まで、お願いします。
Each time, ask yourself: What exactly am I requesting, and can the other person tell?
Language references
The Japan Foundation, Irodori Starter, Lessons 2, 6 and 16:
https://www.irodori.jpf.go.jp/en/starter/pdf.html
Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, requesting items:
https://www.coelang.tufs.ac.jp/mt/ja/gmod/contents/explanation/054.html
Agency for Cultural Affairs, taxi practice:
https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/kokugo_nihongo/kyoiku/seikatsusha/h25_nihongo_program_a/pdf/a_8.pdf
For more illustrated practice, ENKEISHA’s Discover Japanese Through Pictures includes a convenience-store scene with これを おねがいします。
https://enkeisha.gumroad.com/l/dulww
