ちょうだい
ちょうだい
expression
please give me (casual)
1.
please give me
A casual way to request something, equivalent to ください but softer and more informal. Originally from 頂戴 meaning 'to receive humbly', but in modern casual speech it's a request form.
ママ、お水ちょうだい。
Mom, give me some water please.
Typical child's speech
それ、ちょうだい。
Give me that, please.
もう一つちょうだい。
Give me one more, please.
ねえ、お菓子ちょうだい。
Hey, give me some sweets, please.
お金ちょうだい。
Give me some money, please.
2.
please do ~
When attached to the て-form of verbs, functions like ください to make a casual request. Often used by women and children.
ちょっと待ってちょうだい。
Wait a moment, please.
〜てちょうだい = please do ~
見せてちょうだい。
Show me, please.
静かにしてちょうだい。
Be quiet, please.
手伝ってちょうだい。
Help me, please.
もう少し待ってちょうだいね。
Please wait a little longer, okay?
REGISTER: Casual and soft. Commonly used by:
- Children speaking to parents
- Women in casual conversation
- Close friends and family
Not appropriate in formal situations or when speaking to superiors.
PATTERNS:
- 〜ちょうだい (give me ~)
- 〜てちょうだい (please do ~) - same function as 〜てください but more casual
COMPARISON WITH ください:
- ください - neutral polite, can be used in most situations
- ちょうだい - casual, soft, often sounds feminine or childish
- くれ - very casual/rough, typically masculine
ORIGIN: From 頂戴する (to humbly receive), which is still used as a humble/formal verb meaning 'to receive'.
Related Words
Contrast:
下さい (polite form)