In casual speech,
てください is often shortened to
て. This usually comes across as being a friendly way to say ‘please do (A)’, but may sound like a very soft order, so is best used with friends/toward people of lower status.
This nuance of
て is usually able to be identified by appearing at the end of a sentence.
-
午後（ごご）からお客（きゃく）さんが来（く）るから部屋（へや）を片付（かたづ）けて。
We have guests coming over during the afternoon so please clean up your room. (Said by a parent to a child)
-
ペン貸（か）して。
Can you please lend me a pen?
Sometimes, other forms of
て may appear at the end of a sentence. This happens most often when the speaker has not actually finished speaking, but is thinking about what they want to say next. In these cases, the pronunciation of
て will usually be extended (to highlight that the person is thinking).
When emphasizing an apology,
て may also be used. For this nuance to be conveyed,
て will be attached to the ‘reason’ that the person is apologizing, and may be either positive or negative.
-
約束（やくそく）を守（まも）れなくてすみません。
I am sorry that I wasn't able to keep my promise.
-
タケシのジャケットに水（みず）をこぼしちゃってごめん。
Takeshi, I am sorry that I spilled water on your jacket.