Meaning
A negative question with くださる frames a respectful request to the listener.
Formation
- て form + くださいませんか: 書いてくださいませんか
- Politer than てくれませんか and softer than てください
When to use it
- Core use
- Makes a very polite request for an action
Example
ひらがなで書いてくださいませんか
Could you write it in hiragana?
Important notes
- Pay attention to the word form before the construction and to the particles around it.
Common mistakes
- Do not translate the pattern word for word; first identify its function in the whole situation.