ないでください
🃏 Flashcard
ないでください
naide kudasai
Tap to reveal usage
please don't do
N5
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N5
Beginner · Basic sentence structures
Reading
naide kudasai
Post ID
50640
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
please don't do
📖 How to use it
Requests someone not to do something, equivalent to 'please don't...'.
Attaches to
Attach to the ない-form (negative form) of a verb, which is made by replacing the final -u of the dictionary form with -anai for Group 1 verbs (e.g., 書く -> 書かない), or by adding -nai to the stem for Group 2 verbs (e.g., 食べる -> 食べない). For irregular verbs: する -> しない, 来る -> こない.
This pattern is used to ask someone not to do an action, politely. It is the negative counterpart of てください. You form it by taking the ない-form of a verb and adding でください. For example, 行かないでください means 'Please don't go.' It is a common, everyday request form used in both speaking and writing, though it can sound a bit strong if used with close friends, who might say 行かないで instead.
ここでたばこを吸わないでください。
Koko de tabako o suwanaide kudasai.
Please don't smoke here.
写真を撮らないでください。
Shashin o toranaide kudasai.
Please don't take pictures.
遅れないでください。
Okurenaide kudasai.
Please don't be late.
Not ないで (without ください)
ないで is more casual and can be a request or a command, while ないでください is polite and clearly a request. For example, 食べないで means 'Don't eat' (casual), but 食べないでください is 'Please don't eat' (polite).
Register
Polite but common; used in everyday conversation and written requests.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
ないでください
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat ないでください three times. Feel the rhythm — grammar patterns have a natural flow.
Flip Before Reading
Always try to recall the usage before flipping the card. Struggle = learning. Every failed recall makes the next one stick harder.
Write Two Sentences
Compose two original sentences using ないでください. One about yourself, one about something you see right now.
Spaced Review
Save this pattern and revisit at 10 min, 1 day, 3 days. Production (writing) beats recognition for grammar.
🔗 More JLPT N5 Patterns
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern ないでください mean?
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Please don't do
What JLPT level is ないでください?
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Nihoner currently groups this pattern under JLPT N5 — Beginner · Basic sentence structures. Use the level label as study guidance rather than a prediction of what will appear on an exam.
How do you use ないでください in a sentence?
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Attach ないでください (naide kudasai) to the appropriate verb or noun form as described in the usage notes. Then try writing two original sentences — one about yourself and one about something around you.
Is ないでください formal or casual Japanese?
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ないでください is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.
How can I remember ないでください long-term?
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Use the flashcard on this page for active recall — see the pattern, reconstruct the usage from memory, then flip. Follow with the 4-choice quiz to distinguish it from similar patterns. Review later the same day and again over the following days. Writing original sentences can help you practise using the pattern in context.