Conversational Japanese Quiz: Making Polite Requests
10 questions · exam conditions
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Making Polite RequestsQuestion 1 of 10

A speaker wants to make a polite request more indirect and softer by adding a trailing expression after the request. Which sentence correctly uses a trailing softener (末尾の和らげ表現) to make the request sound less imposing?

少し待っていただけませんか、やはり。
少し待っていただけませんか、そういうわけで。
少し待っていただけませんか、ということで。
少し待っていただけませんか、もし可能でしたら。
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Conversational Japanese Quiz

Conversational Japanese Quiz: Making Polite Requests

Practice Making Polite Requests in Conversational Japanese with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Making Polite Requests, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Conversational Japanese.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

A speaker wants to make a polite request more indirect and softer by adding a trailing expression after the request. Which sentence correctly uses a trailing softener (末尾の和らげ表現) to make the request sound less imposing?

  1. 少し待っていただけませんか、やはり。
  2. 少し待っていただけませんか、そういうわけで。
  3. 少し待っていただけませんか、ということで。
  4. 少し待っていただけませんか、もし可能でしたら。 (correct answer)
Explanation: When softening a request in Japanese, the goal is to add a trailing expression (末尾の和らげ表現) that genuinely reduces imposition — signaling to the listener that you acknowledge the request may be inconvenient. The key is choosing a phrase that functions as a condition or hedge, not a filler or logical connector. D is the correct answer because 「もし可能でしたら」("if it's possible") is a classic conditional softener. Placed after the polite request 「少し待っていただけませんか」, it signals that you're leaving the decision open to the listener, making the request feel less demanding. This trailing conditional is one of the most natural and widely accepted 和らげ表現 in formal Japanese communication. As for the wrong choices: A uses 「やはり」("as expected / after all"), which expresses the speaker's own conviction or resignation — it actually makes the request sound more assertive, not softer. B uses 「そういうわけで」("and so / for that reason"), which is a logical connective used to explain consequences or conclusions. It doesn't soften anything; it sounds like you're justifying a demand, which can feel pushy. C uses 「ということで」("so then / with that said"), another connective often used to wrap up or conclude a point. Like B, it gives the impression of a settled matter rather than a gentle request — the opposite of what you want. As a study tip, remember that true 和らげ表現 introduce uncertainty or optionality from the speaker's side (e.g., もし〜でしたら、よろしければ). Logical connectors and conviction-markers do not soften — they signal closure or certainty, which heightens imposition.

Question 2

Yuki is a new employee at a Japanese company. She needs to ask her senior colleague (先輩) to check her report before the deadline. She wants to sound polite but not overly stiff.

Which sentence most appropriately expresses Yuki's request in a polite yet natural way for a workplace setting?

  1. レポートを見てくれない？
  2. レポートを見ていただけませんでしょうか。 (correct answer)
  3. レポートを見なさい。
  4. レポートを見てほしいんですが。
Explanation: When making requests in Japanese, the key is matching your level of politeness to the social context. In a workplace setting with a senior colleague, you need keigo (敬語) — specifically the humble/honorific forms that show respect upward in a hierarchy. The most appropriate choice here is B: レポートを見ていただけませんでしょうか. This sentence uses 「いただく」, the humble form of 「もらう」, combined with the potential negative question form 「〜けませんでしょうか」. This double-layered politeness — humble verb + formal question ending — is precisely what Japanese workplace culture expects when asking a 先輩 for a favor. It sounds respectful without being unnatural. A (レポートを見てくれない？) uses the casual plain form 「くれない」, which you'd say to a close friend or equal, not to a senior colleague. Using this with a 先輩 would come across as rude or overly familiar. C (レポートを見なさい) is a command form used by someone of higher authority — a teacher instructing students, for example. Yuki using this with her 先輩 would be shockingly inappropriate, as if she were ordering them around. D (レポートを見てほしいんですが) expresses a personal desire using 「ほしい」, which is more direct and casual. While not as rude as A, it's still too informal for a superior and lacks the humble framing that keigo requires. A useful tip: when the relationship is below → above (you asking a favor of someone higher-ranked), default to 「〜ていただけませんでしょうか」 — it's your safest, most universally appropriate polite request form.

Question 3

A student wants to ask a professor to explain a concept again. Which of the following uses the most contextually appropriate softening expression before the request?

  1. すみません、もう一度説明してもらいます。
  2. すみません、もう一度説明していただけますか。 (correct answer)
  3. すみません、もう一度説明してもらえばいいです。
  4. すみません、もう一度説明してください。
Explanation: When making requests in Japanese, especially to someone of higher status like a professor, the level of politeness and the grammatical form you choose can make or break the interaction. The key concept being tested here is keigo (敬語), specifically how to soften a request using humble/honorific auxiliary verbs. The most appropriate choice is B: もう一度説明していただけますか. This uses 「いただける」, the potential form of 「いただく」 (the humble equivalent of もらう), combined with the question particle か. This structure — 〜ていただけますか — is the standard polite way to make a request to a superior, as it frames the action as a favor you humbly receive, while the question form makes it an indirect, softened request rather than a direct command. Looking at why the others fall short: A uses 「してもらいます」, which simply states you will receive the explanation as a fact — this is not a request at all, and it sounds presumptuous or grammatically awkward in context. C uses 「してもらえばいいです」, which means something like "it would be fine if you explained" — this sounds indifferent or even dismissive, not a polite request. D uses 「してください」, which is a direct request and grammatically correct, but it lacks the softening and humility expected when speaking to a professor — it can come across as blunt or insufficiently respectful. A useful study tip: memorize the request politeness ladder — してください < していただけますか < していただけませんでしょうか — and match it to the social situation accordingly.

Question 4

Tomoko wants to ask her neighbor to lower the volume of their music late at night. She wants to be polite and avoid conflict, so she uses a softening expression before her request.

Which opening phrase, combined with a polite request, best reflects the use of a softening expression appropriate for this sensitive situation?

  1. 失礼ですが、音楽の音量を下げていただけませんでしょうか。 (correct answer)
  2. 当然ですが、音楽の音量を下げていただけませんでしょうか。
  3. もちろんですが、音楽の音量を下げていただけませんでしょうか。
  4. 大丈夫ですが、音楽の音量を下げていただけませんでしょうか。
Explanation: When making requests in Japanese that might cause discomfort or inconvenience to the other person, native speakers commonly use cushioning expressions (クッション言葉) to soften the impact before delivering the actual request. These phrases signal politeness and social awareness, making the listener more receptive. The expression 失礼ですが in choice A means "excuse me for being rude" or "pardon the intrusion," and it is the classic cushioning phrase used precisely when you need to raise a potentially awkward or sensitive topic. Combined with 音楽の音量を下げていただけませんでしょうか — an extremely polite request form using the double-softened ませんでしょうか construction — choice A creates the ideal balance of humility and politeness for Tomoko's situation. The other options all fail because their opening phrases carry the wrong nuance. Choice B uses 当然ですが, meaning "of course" or "naturally," which implies the neighbor should obviously comply — this comes across as presumptuous and even confrontational, the opposite of softening. Choice C uses もちろんですが, also meaning "of course," carrying the same problem: it asserts certainty rather than humbly introducing a sensitive request. Choice D uses 大丈夫ですが, meaning "it's okay, but..." — this phrase expresses that something is fine, which is logically contradictory before asking someone to change their behavior, and creates a confusing, incoherent message. As a study tip, memorize common クッション言葉 like 失礼ですが、恐れ入りますが, and お手数ですが — these are frequently tested precisely because students mix them up with general positive or affirmative expressions that do not soften sensitive requests.

Question 5

Which of the following sentences uses ～てもらえますか in a grammatically correct and contextually appropriate polite request?

  1. この書類にサインをしてもらえますか。 (correct answer)
  2. この書類にサインをしてあげてもらえますか。
  3. この書類にサインをされてもらえますか。
  4. この書類にサインをしてもらえてますか。
Explanation: When making polite requests in Japanese, ～てもらえますか attaches directly to the て-form of a verb, asking someone to do something for you. The structure is simple: [verb て-form] + もらえますか. Keeping this pattern clean is the key to answering this question correctly. Choice A, この書類にサインをしてもらえますか, follows this structure perfectly. サインをして is the て-form of サインをする, and もらえますか completes the polite request. This is natural, grammatically sound, and appropriate in a business or formal context — making it the correct answer. Choice B adds てあげて before もらえますか, creating サインをしてあげてもらえますか. This is problematic because あげる means "to give (to someone else)," so stacking てあげて onto a request for yourself creates a contradictory meaning — you'd essentially be asking someone to do a favor for a third party, not for you. The beneficiary direction is wrong. Choice C uses the passive form されて (from される), producing サインをされてもらえますか. The passive voice here is grammatically awkward and unnatural. You cannot smoothly combine the passive receipt form される with もらえますか in this way — the beneficiary grammar collapses. Choice D changes もらえますか to もらえてますか, which shifts the meaning toward asking whether someone is currently able to receive something, rather than making a request. This is a different grammatical construction entirely and doesn't function as a polite request. As a study tip, remember: て-form + もらえますか is the clean, standard formula. Any additions or modifications to this pattern — extra auxiliary verbs, passive forms, or progressive endings — almost always signal an error.

Question 6

A manager is speaking to a subordinate employee and wants to ask them to finish a report by Friday. The manager wants to be polite but is in a position of authority.

Which sentence is most appropriate for a manager making a polite request to a subordinate in a Japanese workplace?

  1. 金曜日までにレポートを仕上げていただけませんでしょうか。
  2. 金曜日までにレポートを仕上げてくれますか。 (correct answer)
  3. 金曜日までにレポートを仕上げてもらえませんでしょうか。
  4. 金曜日までにレポートを仕上げてくれないか。
Explanation: When navigating Japanese workplace communication, the key concept being tested here is keigo (敬語) — the system of honorific speech — and specifically how a manager should speak down the hierarchy to a subordinate. Many students assume a superior should always use the most formal language possible, but Japanese actually distinguishes between speech directed upward (toward superiors) and downward (toward subordinates). A manager speaking to a subordinate should use polite but relatively direct language — formal enough to maintain professionalism, but not so deferential that it inverts the social hierarchy. Option B, 「仕上げてくれますか」, hits this balance perfectly. The auxiliary 〜てくれる expresses that someone does something for the speaker's benefit, which is appropriate when a superior requests something from a subordinate. Adding ます makes it politely formal without being overly reverential. Here's why the other options miss the mark: Option A uses 〜ていただけませんでしょうか, which is highly humble/deferential — this form is reserved for requests made to superiors or customers, not subordinates. Using it here would actually sound strange, as if the manager is begging. Option C uses 〜てもらえませんでしょうか, which is similarly too deferential for a downward request; もらう implies the speaker is on the receiving end of a favor from someone of higher status. Option D, 「仕上げてくれないか」, drops the ます entirely and sounds blunt or even brusque — appropriate for close friends, but too casual for a professional setting. A useful tip: in Japanese workplace questions, always ask yourself which direction the speech flows. Upward requests use いただく/くださる; downward requests use もらう/くれる — and the politeness level of the conjugation adjusts from there.

Question 7

Kenji is at a restaurant and wants to ask the waiter to bring the menu. He wants to be polite but the setting is casual dining, not a formal occasion.

Which request form best matches the casual-polite register appropriate for Kenji's situation?

  1. メニューを持ってきていただけませんでしょうか。
  2. メニューを持ってきてくれよ。
  3. メニューを持ってきてもらえますか。 (correct answer)
  4. メニューを持ってきなさい。
Explanation: When dealing with Japanese request forms, you need to calibrate your language to match the register — the social level of politeness appropriate for the situation. Think of Japanese politeness as a spectrum: too formal sounds stiff and unnatural, while too casual can come across as rude. A casual restaurant setting calls for what native speakers call ていねいご (丁寧語) — polite but not overly ceremonial language. Option C, メニューを持ってきてもらえますか, hits this balance perfectly. It uses the te-form of もらう (to receive a favor) in its potential form もらえる, ending with the polite question marker ますか. This construction naturally expresses "could you bring me...?" in a warm, approachable way — exactly right for a casual dining context. Option A is grammatically impeccable, but いただけませんでしょうか layers two levels of ultra-formal speech together (いただく + でしょうか). This register belongs in a business meeting or formal ceremony, not a neighborhood restaurant — it would sound awkward and overly stiff to a waiter. Option B, 持ってきてくれよ, uses the plain-form request くれ plus the masculine sentence-final particle よ. This is blunt and casual to the point of being rude to a stranger — appropriate only with close friends. Option D, 持ってきなさい, is an imperative command form typically used by someone in authority speaking down to another person (like a parent to a child). Using this with a waiter would be genuinely impolite. Study tip: Memorize the ～てもらえますか construction as your "default polite request" for everyday situations — it's versatile, natural, and safe.

Question 8

Hana is calling a hotel to make a reservation. She wants to ask if they can arrange a non-smoking room. She is speaking to a staff member she has never met.

Which sentence would Hana most appropriately use to make her polite request over the phone?

  1. 禁煙室を用意してほしいんだけど。
  2. 禁煙室を用意してもらいたいです。
  3. 禁煙室をご用意いただくことはできますでしょうか。 (correct answer)
  4. 禁煙室を用意してください。
Explanation: When making requests in Japanese, the level of formality you use must match the social context. Calling a hotel as a customer means speaking to a stranger in a service setting — this calls for keigo (敬語), Japan's honorific speech system, specifically the combination of sonkeigo and kenjōgo to elevate the listener and humble yourself. Option C, 禁煙室をご用意いただくことはできますでしょうか, is the most appropriate choice. It uses ご用意 (an honorific prefix elevating the action of "preparing"), いただく (humble form of もらう, meaning you humbly receive their action), and the softened question form ～ことはできますでしょうか, which politely leaves room for the hotel to decline. This layered politeness is exactly what formal phone etiquette demands. Option A, 禁煙室を用意してほしいんだけど, is casual and blunt — the ending ～んだけど trails off in a way that sounds like you're talking to a close friend, not a hotel staff member you've never met. Option B, 禁煙室を用意してもらいたいです, adds ～です but still uses the plain verb 用意して and もらいたい without any honorific elevation, making it too informal for this context. Option D, 禁煙室を用意してください, uses a direct imperative that, even with ください, can feel demanding or abrupt when speaking to service staff. A useful study tip: in Japanese polite requests to strangers or businesses, look for the ご/お + verb stem + いただく pattern combined with ～でしょうか for maximum courtesy — it signals both humility and deference simultaneously.

Question 9

Which of the following sentences contains a grammatical error that makes the polite request unnatural or incorrect in standard Japanese?

  1. 窓を閉めていただけませんか。
  2. 窓を閉めてくださいませんか。
  3. 窓を閉めてもらえませんか。
  4. 窓を閉めていただきますか。 (correct answer)
Explanation: When making polite requests in Japanese, the key is understanding how auxiliary verbs combine with question forms to create natural, grammatically sound expressions. The pattern you're testing here involves 〜ていただく, 〜てくださる, and 〜てもらう — all used to humbly or politely ask someone to do something. Choice D, 窓を閉めていただきますか, is the problematic sentence. While いただきます is grammatically valid on its own (as in "I receive"), using it in a rising question form here creates an awkward, unnatural phrasing. The issue is that 〜ていただきますか sounds like you're simply confirming whether someone will receive the action — not making a polite request. True polite requests require the potential negative question structure: 〜ていただけませんか or 〜てもらえませんか. Without the potential form (いただけ-) and the negative (ません), the request nuance is lost entirely. Choice A, 窓を閉めていただけませんか, is a textbook polite request using the humble potential negative — perfectly correct and very formal. Choice B, 窓を閉めてくださいませんか, uses the honorific くださる in negative question form, which is also a natural and accepted polite request. Choice C, 窓を閉めてもらえませんか, uses the plain-register potential negative — natural in everyday polite speech, just slightly less formal than A or B. As a study tip, remember that genuine Japanese request forms almost always use the potential + negative + question pattern (〜えませんか). If you see a polite request without the negative potential, that's your signal something is off.

Question 10

A student asks a classmate: 「ノートを貸してくれない？」 The student then wants to ask the same thing to their teacher. Which version correctly adjusts the politeness level for the teacher?

  1. ノートを貸してくれませんか。
  2. ノートを貸していただけませんか。 (correct answer)
  3. ノートを貸してあげませんか。
  4. ノートを貸してもらいたいです。
Explanation: When asking someone to do something for you in Japanese, the verb you choose to express "receiving a favor" signals the entire politeness level of your request — this question tests whether you understand keigo (敬語), specifically how to shift from casual to respectful speech when addressing a superior like a teacher. The original phrase 「貸してくれない？」uses くれる, which describes someone doing something for the speaker, but it's casual and only appropriate among peers or close friends. When speaking to a teacher, you need to both raise the politeness level and use the correct humble verb of receiving. That's exactly what B) 貸していただけませんか does. いただく is the humble form of もらう (to receive a favor), and phrasing it as いただけませんか ("would you not be able to give me the favor of...?") creates a polished, indirect, and respectful request — perfectly appropriate for a teacher. A is a trap because くれませんか simply adds ませんか to くれる. While it sounds more polite than the original, くれる treats the teacher as someone at your level or below, which is disrespectful. C uses あげる, which means you are doing something for someone else — it completely reverses the direction of the favor and makes no logical sense here. D (貸してもらいたいです) expresses a desire using もらう, but もらう is neutral/casual, and this phrasing is too direct and informal for a teacher. A useful rule to remember: when you receive a favor from a superior, always reach for いただく over もらう or くれる — it's the safest and most respectful choice.