Video
Let’s watch this short video for a quick overview.
Source: gokigen japanese official YouTube Channel
Introduction
Have you ever wanted to say “Shall we go to lunch?” or “Why don’t we play tennis?” in Japanese? There’s a super useful phrase that allows you to invite someone to do something politely:
V-stem + ませんか
= “Why don’t we ~?” or “Shall we ~?”
This is a beginner-friendly expression and one of the most natural ways to make invitations in Japanese—whether you’re inviting a friend for coffee or asking a classmate to study together.
Let’s dive into how it works!
1. What Is “V-stem + masen ka”?
This expression is used to make polite invitations or suggestions. It literally means “won’t you (do something)?”, but in context, it functions like:
- “Shall we ~?”
- “Why don’t we ~?”
For example:
- コーヒーを飲みませんか？
= Would you like to have some coffee? - 映画を見に行きませんか？
= Why don’t we go see a movie?
2. How to Form It
Step 1: Get the verb stem
Take the polite form of the verb and remove ます:
- 飲みます (to drink) → 飲み
- 行きます (to go) → 行き
- 勉強します (to study) → 勉強し
Step 2: Add ませんか
- 飲み + ませんか → 飲みませんか
- 行き ＋ ませんか → 行きませんか
- 勉強し + ませんか → 勉強しませんか
That’s it!
3. Example Sentences
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 一緒に昼ご飯を食べませんか？ | Shall we eat lunch together? |
| 日曜日に会いませんか？ | Would you like to meet on Sunday? |
| 土曜日にカフェで勉強しませんか？ | Why don’t we study at the cafe on Saturdays? |
| よかったら、公園で遊びませんか？ | If it’s okay, want to play in the park? |
4. よかったら…ませんか (If you’d like…)
A very natural way to begin an invitation is to use:
よかったら、～ませんか？
= “If you don’t mind, why don’t we…”
よかったら is common phrase to start an invitation, which means “if you don’t mind / if it’s okay with you”.
💬 Example:
よかったら、レストランで食事をしませんか。
= If you’d like, shall we have dinner at a restaurant?
5. ませんか vs ましょうか
You may also know this similar phrase from a previous lesson:
V-stem + ましょうか = “Shall we ~?”
So what’s the difference?
ましょうか is preferred when your invitation is naturally expected from that context, and therefore the invitee will most likely accept it. For example, if your friend asks you to study with them, you would suggest in response:
じゃあ、日曜日に会いましょうか。= Then, why don’t we meet up on Sunday?
In contrast, ませんか contains the negative form ません. Therefore, you are aware that your invitee might say “no”. When your invitation is not naturally expected in that context, you should use ませんか to signal that you are leaving the decision up to the invitee. Therefore, if you are asking someone out on a date, you should say:
日曜日に会いませんか。 = Would you like to meet up on Sunday?
| ませんか | ましょうか |
|---|---|
| You’re suggesting politely but leaving the choice up to the listener. | You’re suggesting something that’s expected or likely to be accepted. |
| “Would you like to…?” | “Shall we…?” / “Let’s…” |
✅ Use ませんか when the invitation might be a bit unexpected.
✅ Use ましょうか when it’s more like a confirmation.
6. Practice Time!
Try making suggestions using the pattern:
- よかったら、一緒に映画を見ませんか？
(If you’d like, shall we watch a movie together?) - よかったら、明日 一緒に出かけませんか？
(Want to hang out tomorrow?) - よかったら、今夜ラーメンを食べませんか？
(How about some ramen tonight?)
7. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
- QCan I use ませんか with any verb?
- A
Yes! Just make sure to use the stem form of the verb (the polite ます-form minus ます), and then add ませんか.
- QWhat’s the difference between “ませんか” and “ましょうか”?
- A
- ませんか sounds more polite and indirect. It’s great when you want to be gentle or don’t know the listener very well.
- ましょうか feels more like “let’s do it!” — best for friends or people expecting the suggestion.
- QHow do I respond if someone invites me using ～ませんか?
- A
To accept:
- はい、ぜひ！ – Yes, I’d love to!
- いいですね！ – Sounds good! / That’s nice!
- (If invited to go somewhere) はい、行きましょう！ – Yes, let’s go!
To politely decline:
- すみません、ちょっと都合が悪くて…。 – Sorry, it’s a bit inconvenient for me… (A common, soft refusal)
- ありがとうございます。でも、[Day/Time] はちょっと…。 – Thank you. But [Day/Time] is a little difficult…
- QHow polite is ～ませんか? Can I use it with my boss or teachers?
- A
～ませんか is a generally polite invitation form. It’s perfectly fine for inviting colleagues, classmates, teachers, acquaintances, and people you don’t know well. You can usually use it when inviting a boss, especially if you add 「よかったら」 (yokattara – if you like / if it’s okay). It shows respect by giving them the option to decline easily.
However, for very close friends, it might sound slightly formal; you might use a more casual form like V-plain + ない？ (e.g., 行かない？ – Wanna go?).
- QIt uses the negative form ません (masen). Does that sound negative?
- A
That’s a sharp observation! While it uses the negative form, it functions as a positive, polite invitation. Think of similar phrases in English like “Won’t you join us?” or “Wouldn’t you like some tea?”. Using the negative question form makes the invitation sound softer and less demanding, making it easier for the other person to say no if they need to. So, don’t worry, it sounds friendly and polite in Japanese!
Conclusion
Now you know how to invite someone politely in Japanese using V-stem + ませんか! Whether you’re planning to grab coffee or go to a movie, this is the go-to structure for friendly invitations.
✅ It’s simple.
✅ It’s polite.
✅ And it sounds super natural.
🎯 Challenge: Try inviting a classmate, coworker, or friend to do something using 〜ませんか in a sentence.
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