ないで (Casual Request)(Please) do not (for me), Casual request

Most Recent Replies (14 in total)

• 

  Pushindawood

  (Please) do not (for me)
  casual request

  Structure

  • verb[ ない ] + で 。

  [In casual speech, expressions like ください can be dropped, and ないで by itself can be used to convey requests]

  [Depending on the tone and context of the situation, it can also be used to express a relatively soft order]

  [ないで is a contraction of ないでください, which is not as prohibitive as な]

  View on Bunpro

• 

  Superpnut

  In what way does this mean or show please?
  I understand how it is a contraction of ないでください which is very clearly please do not.
  But this looks like it is quite bluntly do not.
  None of the three resources make any indication that it implies a request with please.
  They do say if it had ください it implies a polite please, but they don’t say that for just ないで
  Another example being
  https://jlptsensei.com/learn-japanese-grammar/ないで-naide-meaning/

  Doesn’t show anything about please until you add ください

  https://jlptsensei.com/learn-japanese-grammar/ないでください-naide-kudasai-meaning/

  I actually can’t find any site that s...

• 

  mathijsdm

  Your second link states “You can remove the ください (kudasai), to just say ないで (naide), which is more casual.” though? Unless I’m misunderstanding your question.

• 

  Superpnut

  no you got it. exactly. And if you remove kudasai you get the first link right. Which has no indication of being polite or implying please

• 

  mathijsdm

  It has to do with it being an informal way of speaking. There is indeed nothing grammar wise that states the request part, however the meaning is implied and is inferred by the listener due to it not following up with an action following the ないで part. (and context / tone of voice / …)
  For examples on dropping the ください, when looking at the entry for ください in A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, we also find this note :

  1. In very informal speech, kudasa; may drop. (This form of request is
     often used by female speakers.)
     (2) a. 早く来て。
     Hayaku kite.
     (Please come quickly.)
     b. まだ帰らないで。
     Mada kaeranai de.
     (Please don’t go home yet.)

  If we’re looking at the second link you provided in the opening text the relevant parts are :

  You can remove the ください (kudasai), to just say ないで (naide), which is more casual.

  Be careful to not confu...

• 

  nekoyama

  There isn’t really a direct translation for “please” in the first place. There’s this kind of continuum (examples):

  食べるな - imperative; in English we’d use the imperative.

  食べないでくれ - imperative “do for me”; in English we would use “please” in a situation like this where the plain imperative is too strong because English does not have a “do for me” verb.

  食べないでください - imperative “do for me”, but respectful (尊敬語); in English we would use “please” because English doesn’t have 尊敬語 either.

  So where does ending on ないで fit in? It’s not a plain imperative, so can we translate it to one in English? Or do we soften it with “please”? That’s more or less the only options we have without being roundabout.

  ないで clearly doesn’t mean please. But it’s also not a normal sentence-ending form, so it implies that there’s something missing. Now it’s often stated that it can be understood as an implicit ください or something,… but that’s actually not important.<...

• 

  Superpnut

  That’s mainly what I meant. And I’m not arguing here but if on your last part. If they wanted to add “please” wouldn’t they just amend it with お願い? Reason I say that is this site has a few example sentences where they use it in that function.

  https://japanesetest4you.com/flashcard/learn-jlpt-n4-grammar-ないで-naide/

  Is it the case that they would still add something or is it quite literally sometimes ないで is polite by default. Because to me it just seems like blunt command.
  Thanks for taking the time and helping

• 

  FredKore

  邪魔をしないでね。お願い。－Don’t distract me. Please.
  …comes from the longer version…
  邪魔をしないでください。お願いします。－Please don’t distract me. Please.

  しないでください。

  • direct command, honorific request
  • てください | Japanese Grammar SRS
  • ないでください | Japanese Grammar SRS
  • literally, “[with extra politeness] without doing, give me”
  • has the feeling of “I’m asking nicely, so please do this for me”, somewhat authoritative
  • dropping ください is more casual but still implied

  お願いします。

  • humble statement
  • お〜する | Japanese Grammar SRS
  • literally, “I humbly wish”<...
• 

  FredKore

  Also, don’t forget about this post…
  So, how do you ask for a favor? - #9 by mrnoone

• 

  Superpnut

  Thank you this is what I was what I needed. Now I see how “please is implied”

• 

  egaudmorel

  Hello, is there a bug or I don’t understand but this lesson seems to have the explanation of the -naide (without doing)

• 

  busnea

  I want to bump this because it just confused me as well.
  It seems the explanation still works but the reviews and the translation at the top of the lesson does not fit the description.

• 

  Soryo

  Yeah, and it’s still the case. The explanation is about “without doing” and not the casual request structure

• 

  henriqueblang

  Bumping for the aforementioned reasons.

• 

  Asher

  Will fix this tomorrow! Apologies for the delay everyone

  Update - Fixed! Once again, apologies for the delay on this one everyone. The description has been rewritten, and new example sentences have also been provided.