ましょう
🃏 Flashcard
ましょう
mashou
Tap to reveal usage
let's ~; shall we ~
N5
Tap to test your recall · +10 XP
📊 Pattern Stats
JLPT Level
N5
Beginner · Basic sentence structures
Reading
mashou
Post ID
50633
Patterns today
0
0 / 10 daily goal
📝 Usage Notes
let's ~; shall we ~
📖 How to use it
Suggests doing something together or proposes an action.
Attaches to
Attach to the ます-stem of a verb (the form used before ます, e.g., 行き from 行きます).
This is the polite volitional form. It is used to suggest doing something together ('let's') or to make a polite proposal ('shall we?'). It is a standard polite form suitable for most everyday situations with friends, colleagues, or acquaintances. For a more casual suggestion among close friends, you might use the plain volitional (e.g., 行こう), but ましょう is always safe and polite.
一緒に昼ごはんを食べましょう。
Issho ni hirugohan o tabemashou.
Let's eat lunch together.
明日、公園に行きましょうか。
Ashita, kouen ni ikimashou ka.
Shall we go to the park tomorrow?
そろそろ帰りましょう。
Sorosoro kaerimashou.
Let's go home soon.
Not ましょうか
ましょう alone is a suggestion or invitation; ましょうか adds a questioning tone, making it a more direct proposal or offering to do something for someone (e.g., 手伝いましょうか means 'Shall I help you?').
Register
Polite and neutral; used in both spoken and written Japanese, but is more common in spoken conversation.
🎯 Quick Quiz
What does this grammar pattern mean or do?
ましょう
📚 How to Master This Pattern
Say It Aloud
Press Hear it and repeat ましょう 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 ましょう. 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
← Previous
ませんか
would you; do you want to; shall we~
Next →
ましょうか
shall I ~; used to offer help to the listener
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does the grammar pattern ましょう mean?
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Let's ~; shall we ~
What JLPT level is ましょう?
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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 ましょう in a sentence?
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Attach ましょう (mashou) 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 ましょう formal or casual Japanese?
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ましょう is used in both casual and polite contexts. It appears frequently in everyday conversation, textbooks, and simple written materials.
How can I remember ましょう 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.