下(くだ)さい

下(くだ)さい is the standard polite way to make requests in Japanese. It comes from the honorific verb 下(くだ)さる (to give, from a superior).

PATTERNS:

• [noun] + を + 下(くだ)さい: please give me ~ (水(みず)を下(くだ)さい)
• [te-form] + 下(くだ)さい: please do ~ (待(ま)って下(くだ)さい)
• お + [verb stem] + 下(くだ)さい: more formal request (お座(すわ)り下(くだ)さい)

WRITING:
Often written entirely in hiragana (ください) rather than with kanji, especially after te-form verbs. The kanji form 下(くだ)さい is more common for the "please give me" meaning.

FORMALITY SCALE:

• 〜て: casual (friends, family)
• 〜て下(くだ)さい: polite (standard)
• 〜てくださいませんか: very polite (requesting a favor)