Grammar Info
N4 Lesson 7: 18/18

~ていただけませんか
Won't you, Could you please (humble request)

Structure
Verb[て]+ いただけません
Verb[て]+ もらえません

Politeness Levels
Details
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使用域 敬語
Information
ていただけませんか is the 謙譲語(けんじょうご) (humble speech) form of てもらえませんか, which itself is the negative potential form of てもらう ‘to have (A) done by someone else’.
This structure is a combination of (the conjunction particle), the う-Verb いただく ‘to be topped with’, the polite-negative auxiliary verb ません, and the question particle, .
Generally, it is translated in a similar way as てもらえませんか ‘won’t you (A)’, or ‘could you please (A)’.
  • すみません、後(うし)ろ乗(の)っていただけませんか
    I am sorry but, could you please sit in the back.
  • 危(あぶ)ないので少(すこ)しだけ下(さ)がってもらえませんか
    Because it is dangerous, could you please back up just a little.
This construction and いただく itself can regularly be seen as 頂(いただ)く, its kanji form. Due to this kanji literally meaning ‘to be topped with’, it is just acknowledging that the person that is doing the action for you (or someone in your group), is doing so from ‘above’ (sounds more respectful).
  • 雪(ゆき)頂(いただ)い山(やま)とてもきれい
    A snow-capped mountain is very beautiful.
Here we can see how the ‘to be topped/capped with’ meaning is used in a standard sentence.
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犬(いぬ)散歩(さんぽ)していただけませんか
Could you please walk the dog?
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夜(よる)9時(じ)までに帰(かえ)っていただけませんか
Could you please return home by nine o'clock?
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もしよかったら明日(あした)していただけませんか
If it is ok, could you please do it for me tomorrow too?
Play  
Books
みんなの日本語 II
Page 12 [CH 26]
みんなの日本語 II
Page 144 [CH 48]
Genki II 1st Edition
Page 76
Genki II 2nd Edition
Page 102
Tae Kim's Japanese Grammar Guide
Page 225