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Rephrase Your Words ⑥ Find precise ways to say “すごい”
03/12/2025
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Rephrase Your Words ⑤: Think about the real meanings inside 「お願いします」
Kotoba Drill Editor
Today’s Theme
「お願いします」（onegaishimasu） is one of the most frequently used phrases in Japanese.
We hear it in shops, offices, schools, and online chats.
It is very convenient, but at the same time it is also a phrase whose meaning easily becomes vague.
Depending on the situation, it can work as a request, a greeting, a way to say thank you, or a closing phrase.
For example:
- 「書類の確認、お願いします。」（Please check the document.）
- 「本日もよろしくお願いします。」（I look forward to working with you today.）
- 「いつもありがとうございます。今後ともお願いします。」（Thank you as always. I hope for your support in the future as well.）
All of these use 「お願いします」, but the roles are different: asking for an action, greeting before work, and expressing thanks plus a wish for a long relationship.
In this article, we look at the functions of 「お願いします」 and how to rephrase it so that your intention is clear for the listener.
Kana readings and IPA are included so that you can practice both meaning and pronunciation.
Why it feels “vague”
From a grammar view, 「お願いします」 comes from the compound verb 「お願いする」（onegai-suru）.
「お願い」 is a noun, and 「する」 is a verb. Together, they mean “to make a request”.
In actual conversation, however, the noun part often appears alone, and other parts of the sentence are not said.
Because of this, the same 「お願いします」 is used for many different purposes.
| Function | Meaning | Example | Reading (kana) | Pronunciation (IPA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Request | Ask the other person to do something | 「ご確認をお願いします。」（Please check it.） | （ごかくにんを おねがいします。） | [go kakɯnin o onega.i ɕimasɯ] |
| Greeting | Use at the start or end of a talk | 「よろしくお願いします。」（Nice to meet you / I count on you.） | （よろしく おねがいします。） | [joɾoɕikɯ onega.i ɕimasɯ] |
| Thanks + request | Show thanks and also ask for future help | 「いつもありがとうございます。今後ともお願いします。」（Thank you as always. I hope for your support in the future as well.） | （いつも ありがとうございます。こんごとも おねがいします。） | [itsɯmo aɾigatoː gozaimasɯ. koŋgo tomo onega.i ɕimasɯ] |
| Social phrase | Keep a good relationship in a formal way | 「本日もよろしくお願いいたします。」（Thank you in advance for today.） | （ほんじつも よろしく おねがいいたします。） | [hoɴdʑitsɯmo joroɕikɯ onega.i itaɕimasɯ] |
The sentence pattern is almost the same, but the nuance changes a lot depending on:
- your relationship with the other person
- how formal the situation is
- what you want to do with the phrase
There is also omission:
- 「確認をお願いします。」（Please check it.） → the action 「確認」（checking） is clear
- 「お願いします。」（Please.） → the target is not said; it depends on the context
The shorter form sounds softer and less direct, but important information may be missing.
Especially in business emails or chat, we should add words so that the content of the request is easy to understand.
Directions for rephrasing（with reading and IPA）
If we use only 「お願いします」, our message can easily become vague.
To avoid this, we clearly say what we want and how we want the other person to help.
Here are some helpful directions for rephrasing.
| Rephrase type | Purpose | Example sentence | Reading (kana) | Pronunciation (IPA) | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Requesting an action | Ask for a concrete task | 「ご確認いただけますか。」（Could you check it, please?） | （ごかくにん いただけますか。） | [go kakɯnin itadakemasɯka] | Makes the action 「確認」（to check） clear, and uses a soft question style. |
| Requesting an action | Ask politely for handling | 「ご対応をお願いいたします。」（Thank you in advance for your handling.） | （ごたいおうを おねがいいたします。） | [go tai.oː o onega.i itaɕimasɯ] | Uses 「対応」 for necessary steps or processing without going into detail. |
| Requesting continued support | Ask for future cooperation | 「今後ともよろしくお願いいたします。」（I hope for your continued support.） | （こんごとも よろしく おねがいいたします。） | [koŋgo tomo joroɕikɯ onega.i itaɕimasɯ] | Used when there is already a relationship and you want it to continue. |
| Requesting with thanks | Show consideration for their busy schedule | 「ご多忙のところ恐縮ですが、ご確認をお願いいたします。」（I know you are busy, but please check it.） | （ごたぼうの ところ きょうしゅくですが、ごかくにんを おねがいいたします。） | [go taboː no tokoro kʲoːɕɯkɯ desɯga, go kakɯnin o onega.i itaɕimasɯ] | Refers to their busyness and shows respect while making the request. |
| Requesting confirmation | Ask for judgment or approval | 「問題ないかご確認ください。」（Please check if there is any problem.） | （もんだいないか ごかくにんください。） | [moːndai nai ka go kakɯnin kɯdasai] | Asks them to confirm that there is no problem before you act. |
| Requesting a decision | Ask for their opinion or decision | 「差し支えなければ、ご意見をお聞かせください。」（If possible, please share your opinion.） | （さしつかえなければ、ごいけんを おきかせください。） | [saɕitsɯkae nakeɾeba, go ikʲeɴ o okikase kɯdasai] | Clearly names the requested item: their opinion. |
Note
IPA is a guide. Long vowels and the nasal sound 「ん」 change slightly in natural speech. Please read together with the kana.
Usage examples（service and business）
Next, let us see how to choose expressions in concrete situations.
In each case, we try to speak our intention directly, not only say 「お願いします」.
| Scene | What you want to do | Good rephrase | Reading (kana) | Pronunciation (IPA) | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service（cashier line） | Ask customers to line up | 「こちらにお並びください。」（Please line up here.） | （こちらに おならびください。） | [koʨiɾa ni onarabikɯdasai] | Names the action 「並ぶ」（to line up） and gives a polite instruction. |
| Service（handing items） | Ask them to check their order | 「ご注文の内容をご確認ください。」（Please check your order.） | （ごちゅうもんの ないようを ごかくにんください。） | [go ʨɯːmoɴ no naijoː o go kakɯnin kɯdasai] | Clearly shows what to do instead of only saying 「お願いします」. |
| Service（warning） | Tell a rule gently | 「他のお客さまのために、ここでの撮影はご遠慮ください。」（For other customers, please refrain from taking photos here.） | （ほかの おきゃくさまの ために、ここでの さつえいは ごえんりょください。） | [hoka no okʲakɯsama no tame ni, koko de no satsɯeː wa go eɴɾʲo kɯdasai] | Uses 「ご遠慮ください」 to politely say “please do not”, without sounding too strong. |
| In-house（email） | Ask a colleague to check and reply | 「資料をご確認のうえ、ご返信をお願いいたします。」（Please check the document and then reply.） | （しりょうを ごかくにんのうえ、ごへんしんを おねがいいたします。） | [ɕiɾʲoː o go kakɯnin no ɯe, go heɴɕiɴ o onega.i itaɕimasɯ] | Shows the order: first check the document, then send a reply. |
| External partner | Ask to keep a good relationship | 「引き続きご支援のほど、よろしくお願いいたします。」（We appreciate your continued support.） | （ひきつづき ごしえんのほど、よろしく おねがいいたします。） | [hikitsɯdzɯki go ɕieɴ no hodo, joroɕikɯ onega.i itaɕimasɯ] | A polite social phrase that fits long-term business relations. |
| In-house（morning greeting） | Greet colleagues before work | 「本日もよろしくお願いいたします。」（Let us work well together today.） | （ほんじつも よろしく おねがいいたします。） | [hoɴdʑitsɯmo joroɕikɯ onega.i itaɕimasɯ] | A standard greeting that gently asks for cooperation for the day. |
| External（declining a request） | Say “no” politely | 「申し訳ありませんが、今回は見送らせていただきます。」（I am sorry, but we will pass this time.） | （もうしわけありませんが、こんかいは みおくらせて いただきます。） | [moːɕiwake aɾimasen ga, koŋkai wa mio?kɯɾasete itadakimasɯ] | Clearly refuses while keeping a polite and respectful tone. |
Grammar view
Here is a short grammar explanation of 「お願いします」.
-
「お願いする」 is a noun plus a verb
- 「お願い」: a noun meaning “request”
- 「する」: a verb meaning “to do”
Together they act like one verb: 「お願いする」（to make a request）.
-
The polite form is 「お願いします」
- Plain form: 「お願いする」
- Polite form: 「お願いします」
In many sentences, the subject（who） and object（what） are not spoken, and are understood from the situation.
-
The noun part can stand alone
In real talk, speakers sometimes use only the noun part plus a little extra:- 「一つお願いがあります。」（I have one request.）
- 「最後にもう一つだけお願いしてもいいですか。」（May I ask just one more thing at the end?）
After such sentences, it is important to explain the content of the request.
-
Softness vs. missing information
- 「確認をお願いします。」（Please check it.） → the content of the request is clear
- 「お願いします。」（Please.） → the content is not said; it depends on context
Short forms sound soft, but they can hide what you really want.
In email or chat, where the other person cannot see your face, it is safer to show enough information with words.
Summary
- 「お願いします」 is a useful expression, but its purpose can easily become unclear.
- If we divide its roles into “request”, “greeting”, “thanks + request”, and “social phrase”, we can see which part we really need.
- When we rephrase, the basic idea is to tell what we are asking for and how we want the other person to help.
- In business and service, it is important to combine “request + concrete action” and “greeting + keeping a good relationship” so that the sentence has a clear goal.
- Rather than depending only on 「お願いします」 as a magic word, we can prepare several patterns that fit different situations and use them flexibly.
Next: Rephrase Your Words ⑥
Find words that express 「すごい」 more precisely
