N5 トピック
L9: Shall We?
Make invitations and suggestions in a variety of ways
Shall We?
In this Topic, we're going to learn about how to make invitations and suggestions using different forms of the auxiliary verb ます. Specifically, we'll see the patterns ましょう and ましょうか, used for suggestions, and ませんか, used for invitations. With these, we'll be able to make social plans and soften our statements.
このトピックに出てくる文法
ましょう
Let's, Shall we (Polite volitional)
ましょう is one of the conjugations of the auxiliary verb ます, and is a common (polite) way to suggest that something be done 'together' (when used with a verb). It is often translated as 'let's (A)', or 'shall we (A)?'. To use ましょう, we will simply need to change ます to ましょう, when conjugating the verb.
Despite regularly being translated as 'shall we (A)?', ましょう does not specifically target another person, and can also be used as a declaration that (A) will be done/needs to be done. This use reflects the base meaning of ましょう, which is the polite volitional form (deliberately/purposefully doing something).
In this example, the speaker is expressing to themselves that they 'will' do something, and are strongly resolved to make it happen (similar to 'I shall' in English).
～ましょうか
Shall we, Shall I
As covered in our ましょう lesson, ましょう is one of the conjugations of the auxiliary verb ます, and is a common (polite) way to suggest that something be done 'together'.
Adding the particle か to this expression simply changes the nuance from 'let's', to 'shall we?', and is more of a direct question than ましょう by itself.
Like ましょう, this expression can be added to the ます stem form of any verb.
One thing to note with these examples is that they are 'suggestions', not 'invitations'. In Japanese there is a slight difference between the two, in the same way that there is in English. If you want to invite someone to do something, the most natural way would be to use ませんか, a phrase that is similar to ましょうか.
The difference here is that 'won't you do (A)?' has a stronger nuance of being a direct invitation, while ましょうか is closer to just 'let's do (A)!'
ませんか
Won't you, Would you not, Why don't we
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.
詳細
In some cases, the phrases in this Topic are relatively interchangeable, but in others they are distinct. Let's clarify the nuances and look at some points of difference.
Where There's A Will, There's A Way
As mentioned on the grammar page, ましょう is technically the 'volitional' form of ます. This just means that it shows some specific will or intention to do the action (we will learn more about the volitional form in N4).
One consequence of this is that only verbs representing actions someone can 'intend' to do can use ましょう. Some verbs describe actions or states that cannot be deliberate, and therefore cannot be used this way.
In almost all cases, it is okay to not be consciously aware of these differences as it will naturally feel strange to use ましょう with the wrong sort of verb, even as a language learner.
Let's? Let's!
Although ましょう and ましょうか look similar, they differ in social function. ましょう is more proactive, while ましょうか acts as more of a check on whether the listener is on board with the idea/action. Despite this, they can feel somewhat similar in some cases.
ませんか sits apart from both as a true, polite invitation. By framing it as a negative question, it gives the listener a much softer and easier way to decline.
What Do You Want?
As mentioned when we initially learned about たい 'want (to do)', invitations in Japanese cannot be formed by asking if someone wants to do something. This sounds like a direct inquiry about someone's internal psychology and, depending on the context, quite possibly an odd question.
After the Date
--:--
女：「映画、面白かったですね！」
男：「はい！男も女も関係ない世界で面白かったです。」
女：「最後は皆結婚しましたね。みんなが幸せで嬉しい！」
男：「今からどこに行きましょうか？お腹空きましたか？」
女：「そうですね。カフェに行きましょう！」
男：「そうしましょう。苦手な食べ物はありますか？」
女：「ないです！外は雨が降っているので、ここから近いカフェに行きませんか？」
男：「いいですね！あそこはどうですか？」
女：「空いてますね！そこにしましょうか！」