～たまえ

Today’s Grammar Point:  ～たまえ

～たまえ is a rather old fashioned expression used for a request. As it derives from an auxiliary verb たまふ（給ふ） in the old Japanese, sometimes it’s written as たまへ although the pronunciation is the same as たまえ.
I hear ～たまえ used in prayers often but I don’t hear it in everyday conversations very often. If used in a prayer, it means about the same as ～てください (please ～) but if it is said to a living person, it would sound stronger than ～なさい and can sound very arrogant.

Connections

• [verb stem] + たまえ
  A verb is a ますform verb without the ending ます.

Examples

神かみよあわれみたまえ!
≒ 神かみよあわれんでください!
God, have mercy on us!

われらを救すくいたまえ!
≒ わたしたちを救すくってください!
Save us!

雨あめを降ふらせたまえ。
≒ 雨あめを降ふらせてください。
Please make it rain.

守まもりたまえ。
≒お守まもりください。
Please protect us.

時々ときどき遊あそびに来きたまえ。
≒時々ときどき遊あそびに来きなさい。
Come and visit me now and then.

是非ぜひ出席しゅっせきしたまえ。
≒ 是非ぜひ出席しゅっせきしなさい。
You should attend.

乗のりたまえ。
≒ 乗のりなさい。
Get on.

この手紙てがみを読よんでみたまえ。
≒ この手紙てがみを読よんでみなさい。
Read this letter.

行いってみたまえ。
≒ 行いってみなさい。
Why don’t you go?

一口ひとくち食たべてみたまえ。
≒ 一口ひとくち食たべてみなさい。
Try eating a bite.

Answer to Today’s Question: I may hop of the train depending on who says it.

I won’t advise this boy to hop on because it’s very unlikely his parents would say that to their child.

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～なさい