KANAKUMA

JLPT N5 · Requests and communication

〜ませんか

Politely invites someone to act together

Meaning

A polite, gentle invitation to do an action together.

Formation

  1. Remove ます and add ませんか: 見ます → 見ませんか.
  2. する → しませんか; 来る → 来ませんか（きませんか）.

When to use it

Invitation
Suggests an activity without imposing it on the listener.

Examples

20 sentences

  • 明日あした映画えいがを見みませんか

    Would you like to watch a movie tomorrow?

  • 一緒いっしょにコーヒーを飲みのみませんか

    Would you like to drink coffee together?

  • 駅えきまで一緒いっしょに行きいきませんか

    Shall we go to the station together?

  • このケーキを食べたべませんか

    Would you like some of this cake?

  • 週末しゅうまつに公園こうえんで散歩さんぽしませんか

    Shall we take a walk in the park this weekend?

  • ここに座りすわりませんか

    Would you like to sit here?

  • 後あとで電話でんわしませんか

    Shall we talk on the phone later?

  • 一緒いっしょに夕ご飯ゆうごはんを作りつくりませんか

    Shall we make dinner together?

12 more examples

  • 日曜日にちようびに店みせを見みに行きいきませんか

    Would you like to go look around the shops on Sunday?

  • 少しすこし休みやすみませんか

    Shall we take a little break?

  • 小さなちいさな荷物にもつを運びはこびませんか

    Would you like to carry the small luggage?

  • 青いあおい封筒ふうとうを選びえらびませんか

    Would you like to choose a blue envelope?

  • 古いふるい雑誌ざっしを捨てすてませんか

    Would you like to throw away the old magazines?

  • 台所だいどころの窓まどを開けあけませんか

    Would you like to open the kitchen window?

  • 旅行りょこうの写真しゃしんを見みませんか

    Would you like to look at the travel photos?

  • 短いみじかい手紙てがみを書きかきませんか

    Would you like to write a short letter?

  • 友達ともだちの話はなしを聞きききませんか

    Would you like to listen to my friend's story?

  • 駅えきの名前なまえを覚えおぼえませんか

    Would you like to memorize the station name?

  • 家いえの鍵かぎを探しさがしませんか

    Would you like to look for the house key?

  • 晩ご飯ばんごはんの準備じゅんびをしませんか

    Would you like to prepare dinner?

Important notes

  • The form looks like a negative question, but in the right context it is an established invitation pattern.

Common mistakes

  • Do not translate it mechanically as an ordinary negative question; first identify whether it is an invitation.

Check yourself

Pick the translation of each sentence. The wrong options translate similar patterns, so watch the grammar rather than the words.

  1. 日曜日にちようびに店みせを見みに行きいきませんか
  2. 旅行りょこうの写真しゃしんを見みませんか
  3. 晩ご飯ばんごはんの準備じゅんびをしませんか

Similar grammar

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