Basic Requests and Instructions | Learn Japanese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 中に入ってください。

   Please come inside.

   中に

   inside

   入ってください

   please enter

   More detail

   中に means “inside” here. 中 is a noun meaning “inside” or “interior,” and に marks the place entered or reached. The same pattern can be reused with another destination, such as 部屋に (“into the room”). 入ってください is a polite request meaning “please enter.” The base form is 入る (“to enter”); its て-form is 入って. Although 入る ends in る, it is a godan verb, so its て-form is 入って, not an assumed form based only on the spelling. ください follows a て-form to make a polite request: Vてください = “please V.” Together, 中に identifies the destination, and 入ってください asks the listener to enter it: “Please come inside.” The English word “come” is a natural translation in this situation; the Japanese verb itself expresses entering.

2. ここに座ってください。

   Please sit here.

   ここ

   here

   座ってください

   please sit

   More detail

   ここ means “here,” referring to the relevant location. It is a location word, not a noun naming a particular object. In this sentence, ここに means “here”; に marks the location where the person should sit. Example: ここに来てください。 — “Please come here.” 座ってください is a polite request meaning “please sit.” Its lexical verb is 座る (“to sit”). The form 座って is the verb’s te-form, and ください after a te-form makes a polite request: 座ってください = “please sit.” This pattern is reusable with other verbs: 待ってください。 — “Please wait.” Together, ここに (“here,” as the location) and 座ってください (“please sit”) produce the complete meaning: “Please sit here.” The sentence is a polite request directed to the listener.

3. ここで待ってください。

   Please wait here.

   ここで

   here

   待ってください

   please wait

   More detail

   ここで means “here” as the place where the action happens. ここ is “here,” and で marks the location of an action. This differs from ここに in the earlier example: に can mark the place where someone or something is located, or a destination. Example: ここで勉強します。 — “I study here.” 待ってください is a polite request meaning “please wait.” The useful base form is 待つ (“to wait”). Its request form is made with the て-form, 待って, followed by ください: 待つ → 待って → 待ってください. This pattern can be reused with other verbs, for example 見てください。 — “Please look.” Together, ここで identifies the place of the requested action, and 待ってください makes the request. The whole utterance therefore means “Please wait here.”

4. こちらを見てください。

   Please look here.

   こちら

   here; this direction

   見てください

   please look

   More detail

   こちら means “here” or “this direction” in this utterance. It is a polite demonstrative expression from the こ- series, which generally indicates something near the speaker. In other contexts, こちら can also refer politely to a person or thing, but here the translation supports a place or direction. 見てください means “please look.” 見て is the te-form of 見る (“to look” or “to see”), and ください following a te-form makes a polite request. Thus, 見てください is a reusable pattern meaning “please [verb].” For example, 聞いてください means “please listen,” as in the supplied next sentence. The te-form is not past tense here; it connects the verb with the request expression. Together, こちら identifies the place or direction to attend to, and 見てください politely asks the listener to look there. The complete meaning is “Please look here.”

5. よく聞いてください。

   Please listen carefully.

   よく

   carefully

   聞いてください

   please listen

   More detail

   よく means “carefully” here and modifies the action that follows. Its meaning changes with context: for example, よく食べます can mean “eat often” or “eat well,” but in this sentence the fixed translation supports “carefully.” 聞いてください is a polite request meaning “please listen.” The useful pattern is verb て-form + ください: 見てください means “please look,” and 話してください means “please speak.” Here, 聞いて is the て-form of 聞く (“to listen” or “to hear”); the final ください makes the request polite. The て-form is not the dictionary form, so the reusable pair is 聞く → 聞いて. Together, よく + 聞いてください gives “Please listen carefully.” The adverb よく specifies how the listener should carry out the requested action. This is a polite, direct instruction suitable for addressing a listener.

6. ゆっくり話してください。

   Please speak slowly.

   ゆっくり

   slowly

   話してください

   please speak

   More detail

   ゆっくり means “slowly” here and modifies the action that follows. It is a useful adverb for asking that an action be done at a slow pace. For example: ゆっくり読んでください。— “Please read slowly.” 話してください means “please speak.” The underlying verb is 話す, “to speak” or “to talk.” Its て-form is 話して; adding ください makes a polite request: 話して + ください. This pattern can be reused with other verbs, such as 見てください。— “Please look.” The request form does not itself specify how many people should speak; the subject is understood from the situation. Together, ゆっくり describes how the requested speaking should be done, and 話してください politely requests the action. The complete utterance therefore means “Please speak slowly.”