JLPT N2FormalNotices and business mail

お・ご～願ねがうwe ask you to (formal request)

ご協きょう力りょく願ねがいます, "we ask for your cooperation": the request of announcements, signs and business mail. As a question, 願ねがえますか, it is "could we ask you to…?".

an announcement

会かい場じょう内ないでは携けい帯たい電でん話わのご使し用ようをお控ひかえ願ねがいます。

Please refrain from using cell phones inside the venue.

business mail

資し料りょうを受うけ取とり次し第だい、内ない容ようをご確かく認にん願ねがいます。

Please check the contents as soon as you receive the materials.

a question

こちらでしばらくお待まち願ねがえますか。

Could I ask you to wait here for a little while?

How to form it

お + Verb ます-stem + 願ねがいます　　ご + する-noun + 願ねがいます

待まちます → お待まち願ねがいます, 確かく認にんする → ご確かく認にん願ねがいます. No て and no して.

As a question

お／ご～ + 願ねがえますか

願ねがえ is the "can" form of 願ねがう. 願ねがえませんか is softer.

Before it: What you are asked to do: ご協きょう力りょく (cooperate), ご遠えん慮りょ (refrain), ご確かく認にん (check), お待まち (wait).
Who says it: Staff, offices and companies, to the public or to another company.

In use

a notice

アンケートにご協きょう力りょく願ねがいます。

We ask for your cooperation with the survey.

a sign

館かん内ないでの飲いん食しょくはご遠えん慮りょ願ねがいます。

Please refrain from eating and drinking inside the building.

This is how it says "please don't".

on a form

申しん請せい書しょの該がい当とう欄らんにご記き入にゅう願ねがいます。

Please fill in the relevant section of the application form.

Three things to know

They ask, and the doing is yours

願ねがう is the verb in お願ねがいします: to ask. Whoever writes ご確かく認にん願ねがいます asks, and you do the checking. It doesn't wait for an answer, which is why it sounds official.

ご確かく認にん願ねがいます。

Please check.

願ねがいます straight after the word: the notice style.

ご確かく認にんをお願ねがいいたします。

Please check.

を, then お願ねがいいたします: softer, and what people write to a customer.

願ねがえますか: the same request as a question

Staff say it face to face and on the phone, often after 恐おそれ入いりますが.

on the phone

恐おそれ入いりますが、お名な前まえをお聞きかせ願ねがえますか。

I'm sorry to trouble you, but could I ask your name?

business mail

今こん週しゅう金きん曜よう日びまでにご回かい答とう願ねがえますか。

Could I ask you to reply by this Friday?

申もうし訳わけありませんが、本ほん日じつはお引ひき取とり願ねがえますか。

I'm sorry, but could I ask you to leave for today?

The set way to ask an unwelcome visitor to go.

Formal isn't the same as polite

A personal favor asked this way sounds like a notice read aloud.

Sounds odd: 先せん生せい、推すい薦せん状じょうをお書かき願ねがいます。

Professor, you are requested to write me a letter of recommendation.

推すい薦せん状じょうを書かいていただけませんか.

Close neighbours

お・ご～くださいN4

The ordinary polite request from staff. Warmer, and it can invite: どうぞお入はいりください.

こちらで少しょう々しょうお待まちください。

Please wait here for a moment.

ていただけますかN4

Asks one person a favor, and they can say no. In business it becomes お待まちいただけますか.

すみません、ここで少すこし待まっていただけますか。

Excuse me, could you wait here for a moment?

お・ご～申もうし上あげるN2

The heaviest humble form, for what the writer's side does. A formal letter asks with お願ねがい申もうし上あげます.

皆みな様さまのご協きょう力りょくをお願ねがい申もうし上あげます。

We humbly ask for everyone's cooperation.

Check yourself

1A company writes this to you. What does it mean?

明日あしたまでにご返へん信しん願ねがいます。

Choose an answer to see why.

2You ask your teacher to look over your essay, as a favor. Which one fits?

先せん生せい、この作さく文ぶんを（　　）。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

It follows a few words that aren't verbs: お静しずかに願ねがいます, "quiet, please".

More sentences

締しめ切きり日びまでに必ひつ要よう書しょ類るいをご提てい出しゅつ願ねがいます。

Please submit the required documents by the deadline.

列れつを崩くずさず、順じゅん番ばんにお進すすみ願ねがいます。

Please stay in line and move forward in order.

扉とびらが閉しまるまで、そのままお待まち願ねがいます。

Please stay where you are until the doors close.

恐おそれ入いりますが、入いり口ぐちで身み分ぶん証しょうをお見みせ願ねがえますか。

Excuse me, but could I ask you to show your identification at the entrance?

館かん内ないでは写しゃ真しん撮さつ影えいをお控ひかえ願ねがえますか。

Could I ask you to refrain from taking photographs inside the building?

内ない容ように誤あやまりがないか、もう一いち度どお確たしかめ願ねがえますか。

Could I ask you to check once more that there are no errors in the content?

もう少すこし詳くわしくご説せつ明めい願ねがえませんか。

Could I ask you to explain in a little more detail?

Compared with similar forms

Asking someone to do something