You have learned about ~ます、ました、ません、ませんでした endings. You also have learned by adding か after those endings, the sentence becomes a question.
Another set of endings I’d like you to learn today is the ways to suggest an action.
- ~ましょう ending is used when you want to do something together with the person you are talking to, so it’s like “Let’s ~” in English.
- ~ましょうか has 2 usages,
- “Shall I ~?” (asking if I should do something) and
- “Shall we ~?” (reservedly suggesting the other person to do something with you).
- ~ませんか
- “Don’t you ~/won’t you~?” or “Won’t you ~ with me?”
- validating the negative statement (implying surprise or disappointment)
Explanation Video
Examples
じゃあ、いきましょう。
Well then, let’s go.
- ええ、そうですね。いきましょう。
Yes, that’s right. Let’s go.さあ、がんばりましょう。
C’mon, let’s try hard!しゃしんを とりましょう。
Let’s take a photo.
- はい/ええ、とりましょう。
- ああ、しゃしんはちょっと…
しゃしんを とりましょうか。(upwards)
Shall I take your photo?
- はい、おねがいします。
- いいえ、けっこうです。ありがとう(ございます)。
しゃしんを とりましょうか。(downwards)
Shall we take a photo?
- はい/ええ、とりましょう。
しゃしんを とりませんか。(upwards)
Why don’t you take a photo? or Shouldn’t we take a photo?
- はい/ええ、とりましょう。
- ああ、しゃしんはちょっと…
しゃしんを とりませんか。(downwards)
Oh, you don’t take photos.
- あのう、しゃしんはちょっと… (すみません。)
えいがに いきましょう。
Let’s go to a movie.
- はい/ええ、いきましょう。
- ああ/あのう、えいがはちょっと…
えいがに いきましょうか。(upwards)
Shall I go to a movie?
- はい、おねがいします。
- いいえ、けっこうです。ありがとう(ございます)。
えいがに いきましょうか。(downwards)
Shall we go to a movie?
- はい/ええ、いきましょう。
- ああ/あのう、えいがはちょっと…
えいがに いきませんか。(upwards)
Why don’t we go to a movie?
- はい/ええ、いきましょう。
- ああ/あのう、えいがはちょっと…
えいがに いきませんか。(downwards)
eiga ni ikimasenka.
Oh, you don’t go to a movie…
- あのう、しゃしんはちょっと… (すみません。)
Similarly, by adding one letter, か, ね or よ to a -ます or -です ending statement, you can change the statement into a question or change the tone of the statement. Watch this video first.
As the video says, the intonation how you end the sentence is important.
Upward か
That makes a statement into a straight forward Yes/No question.
- For yes, say はい or ええ and repeat the same ending word without か
- For no, say いいえ and use a negative or opposite ending. Just be careful to be diplomatic.
Downward か
That implies a surprise of the speaker.
Upward ね
If the speaker adds an upward ね, he/she is asking for a confirmation.
- For yes, say はい or ええ and repeat the same ending word without か
- For no, say いいえ and use a negative or opposite ending. Just be careful to be diplomatic.
Downward ね
This softens the statement to avoid sounding judgemental.
Upward よ
Either implies the excitement of the speaker or the speaker is urging others to join in.
Downward よ
This implies the speaker’s discontent.
To be diplomatic
If somebody asks you ~が すきですか or a loaded question like ~を たべますか, you can say something like:
- いいえ、あんまり*… No, not really…
- ああ、ちょっと… Ah, it’s a bit…
*we say あんまり but when we write it, we often skip ん. So あまり is more often used than あんまり in writing.
Suggested Activities
Say a few sentences to suggest an activity.
Complete all the exercises of Module 4 in the Moodle Course.