ませんかWon't you, Would you not, Why don't we

Structure

Verb［ない］ + か

Details

Part of Speech
Expression
Word Type
Sentence Ending Particle
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Polite

About ませんか

ませんか (or ないか more casually) is an expression that is used after verbs as an invitation. It basically translates to 'won't you do (A) with me?'.

This expression is a little bit different to ましょうか, in that it sounds directly like an invitation to do (A). ましょうか tends to sound more like a suggestion that (A) should be done.

It is recommended to use the ませんか version, as ないか would be a bit too casual to use with someone that you are not very close with (and is also technically not correct Japanese).

To make it clearer that the speaker wants to do (A) 'with' someone, expressions like 一緒(いっしょ)に 'together' are often added, for clarification.

To examine the difference between ましょうか and ませんか, let's have a look at how the nuance changes in the same type of sentence.

Here, ませんか will come across as an invitation due to the fact that you are asking the person if they 'wouldn't mind doing (A)' with you. This is the main reason that it is considered a more polite option when inviting someone to do something, than ましょうか.

Examples

--:--

寿司(すし)を食(た)べに行(い)きませんか。

Won't you go eat sushi (with me)?

サッカーをしませんか。

Won't you play soccer (with me)?

一緒(いっしょ)に文法(ぶんぽう)を勉強(べんきょう)しませんか。

Won't you study grammar with me?

お風呂(ふろ)に一緒(いっしょ)に入(はい)りませんか。

Won't you take a bath with me?

金曜日(きんようび)に、買(か)い物(もの)に行(い)きませんか。

Won't you go shopping (with me) on Friday?

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Online
- ～ませんか
  いいね Nihongo
- ませんか
  Transparent Language

Offline
- Genki I
  Page 62
- Genki I 2nd Edition
  Page 92
- Marugoto Elementary 1 (A2) Rikai
  Page 90
- みんなの日本語 I
  Page 44 [CH 6]
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ませんか – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (11 in total)

Jake
won’t you
Structure
- Verb[stem] + ません・か
View on Bunpro
eefara
Does adding ませんか always have an implied “with me”? I noticed that all of the example sentences included it, even the ones without an explicit 一緒に or the like.
mrnoone
Hey

It often has “together with me (the inviter)” nuance, since it is used to make invitations but it is not always the case.

Example:

私の先生になってくれませんか？
Won’t you become my teacher?
eefara
I see; thanks for the clarification!
deltacat3
I am just curious what the orange highlighting represents.
Pushindawood
@deltacat3 Hey! This just has to do with the note found on the grammar point’s Meaning page: “[Often used with 一緒に to clarify that the speaker wants to do something together].” Cheers!
MikkaT
I just wanted to say, that I believe there is a typo in the description.

image776×490 48.5 KB
Fuga
Hey there! This seemed like a typo on our end so we have just fixed it!
Tensor
Is ないですか a valid way to end this form? (How です can be added to the end of ない to make it more polite)
govknar
In some of the examples/questions, it seems I need to put し before ませんか, for しませんか… But I can’t seem to find or understand the exact reasoning, unless it has something to do with し as a particle…?
IcyIceBear

Jake:

Verb[stem] + ません・か

し is a stem form of the verb する, so thats why its added in those sentences.

welcome to the community
govknar
Ah, naruhodo, thanks for the clarification! Seems like a great community