Chapter 9 of 10

Chapter 9: Daily Life Vocabulary & Polite Requests

Build daily-life vocabulary and make polite requests with ～ください and ～をおねがいします.

Konnichiwa! こんにちは! 👋

Welcome to Chapter 9! In this lesson, we're diving into essential vocabulary you'll use every day in Japan, from ordering food to talking about your commute. Plus, we'll master two crucial phrases for making polite requests. Get ready to make yourself understood!

Daily Life Vocabulary 🗓️

Let's build your word bank for common situations. Pay attention to the pronunciation!

Food & Drink (食べ物・飲み物) 🍎☕

  • 水 (みず) mizu - water
  • コーヒー kōhī - coffee
  • お茶 (おちゃ) ocha - tea
  • ごはん gohan - cooked rice / meal
  • パン pan - bread

Places (場所) 📍

  • 駅 (えき) eki - train station
  • スーパー sūpā - supermarket
  • 銀行 (ぎんこう) ginkō - bank
  • レストラン resutoran - restaurant
  • 学校 (がっこう) gakkō - school

Transport (交通) 🚌🚆

  • 電車 (でんしゃ) densha - train
  • バス basu - bus
  • タクシー takushī - taxi
  • 自転車 (じてんしゃ) jitensha - bicycle

Daily Routine (日課) ⏰

  • 起きる (おきる) okiru - to wake up / get up (verb)
  • 食べる (たべる) taberu - to eat (verb)
  • 飲む (のむ) nomu - to drink (verb)
  • 行く (いく) iku - to go (verb)
  • 寝る (ねる) neru - to sleep / go to bed (verb)

Making Requests: Polite Phrases 🙏

Now that you have some vocabulary, let's learn how to ask for things politely. These two phrases are essential for daily interactions.

1. ～ください (kudasai) - "Please give me..."

Use ～ください (kudasai) when you want to directly ask for an object. It literally means "please give me..." or "please do... (for me)".

Structure: Noun + を (o) + ください (kudasai)。

The particle を (o) marks the direct object of the verb.

水🔊 を🔊 ください🔊。 Mizu o kudasai. - Please give me water.
パン🔊 を🔊 ください🔊。 Pan o kudasai. - Please give me bread.

Cultural Note: While "kudasai" is polite, it's a direct request. In many situations, especially in shops or restaurants, the next phrase, "onegai shimasu," might sound even softer and more common.

2. ～をお願いします (o onegai shimasu) - "I'd like..." / "Please..."

～をお願いします (o onegai shimasu) is a very versatile and polite way to make a request, often translated as "I'd like..." or "Please (give me)...". It's commonly used when ordering food, asking for a service, or making a gentle request.

Structure: Noun + を (o) + お願いします (onegai shimasu)。

This phrase conveys a sense of "I ask for your favor regarding this item."

コーヒー🔊 を🔊 ひとつ🔊 お願いします🔊。 Kōhī o hitotsu onegai shimasu. - One coffee, please. (Literally: "Regarding coffee, one, I ask for your favor.") "ひとつ (hitotsu)" means "one (thing)". Counters will be covered in more detail later, but it's good to know for ordering.
お茶🔊 を🔊 お願いします🔊。 Ocha o onegai shimasu. - Tea, please. / I'd like tea.
タクシー🔊 を🔊 お願いします🔊。 Takushī o onegai shimasu. - A taxi, please. / I'd like a taxi.

Usage Tip: When ordering at a restaurant or shop, "onegai shimasu" is generally preferred as it sounds very polite and natural. "Kudasai" is also correct but can sometimes feel a bit more direct or even demanding depending on context and tone.

Practice Time! 🧠

Ready to try it out? Think of how you'd say these in Japanese using the phrases you just learned. Tap the "🔊" to hear the pronunciation after you've thought of your answer!

1. You're thirsty. How do you politely ask for water?

Hint: Use "onegai shimasu".

水🔊 を🔊 お願いします🔊。 Mizu o onegai shimasu. - Water, please.

2. You want the waiter to bring you coffee. How would you say "Please give me coffee."?

Hint: Use "kudasai".

コーヒー🔊 を🔊 ください🔊。 Kōhī o kudasai. - Please give me coffee.

3. You need to catch a taxi. What do you tell the person helping you?

Hint: "Taxi, please."

タクシー🔊 を🔊 お願いします🔊。 Takushī o onegai shimasu. - A taxi, please.

Chapter Summary ✨

You've made great progress in Chapter 9! Here's a quick recap of what we covered:

  • Daily Life Vocabulary: Learned essential words for food & drink (水, コーヒー, お茶, ごはん, パン), places (駅, スーパー, 銀行, レストラン, 学校), transport (電車, バス, タクシー, 自転車), and daily routines (起きる, 食べる, 飲む, 行く, 寝る).
  • Making Requests with ～ください: Used for direct requests like "Please give me..." (e.g., 水をください - Please give me water).
  • Making Requests with ～をお願いします: A very polite and common way to say "I'd like..." or "Please..." (e.g., コーヒーをお願いします - Coffee, please. / I'd like coffee).
  • Cultural Nuance: Understood that while both are polite, "onegai shimasu" is often preferred in service settings for a softer tone.

Keep practicing these words and phrases in your mind! The more you use them, the more natural they'll feel.

Chapter quiz

Japanese Chapter 9 Quiz: Daily Life Vocabulary & Polite Requests

10 questions

  1. 1

    What does みずをください mean?

  2. 2

    What does コーヒーをいっつつ おねがいします mean?

  3. 3

    What is the polite way to make a request in Japanese?

  4. 4

    What does おねがいします mean?

  5. 5

    What does たべもの mean?

  6. 6

    Form the Japanese request "Please give me bread"

    Tap tiles in order to build the answer
  7. 7

    What does ばしょ mean?

  8. 8

    What does のりもの mean?

  9. 9

    Form the Japanese request "Please give me tea"

    Tap tiles in order to build the answer
  10. 10

    What does にちじょう mean?

You know the lesson. Now practice speaking it.

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