私を養子にして
watashi o yōshi ni shite
To say "adopt me" in Japanese, use 私を養子にして (watashi o yōshi ni shite).
This phrase is a request for someone to legally take a person as their own child. In its default form, it functions as a soft, often emotive or casual request, common in dramatic contexts like manga or anime.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of watashi o (me), yōshi (adopted child) and ni shite (the te-form of "to make/do").
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the request more polite and grammatically complete, you can add kudasai to the end, resulting in 私を養子にしてください.
How do you pronounce it?
watashi o yōshi ni shite
Did you know?
- Japanese law allows for muko-yōshi, a specific type of adoption where a man marries into his wife's family and is legally adopted as the son of his parents-in-law.
- In modern internet slang, fans of a celebrity or character may jokingly use a form of yōshi ni shite to express a desire to be 'taken in' or cared for by their idol.
- While 私 is the standard word for 'I', characters in anime often swap it for 俺 or 僕 when asking 養子にして to signal a rebellious or shy personality.
Examples in context
- 私を養子にしてほしいです。watashi o youshi ni shite hoshii desu.I want you to adopt me.
- どうか、私を養子にしてください。douka, watashi o youshi ni shite kudasai.Please, adopt me.
- 私を養子にしてくれますか？watashi o youshi ni shite kuremasu ka?Will you adopt me?
Example conversation
A dramatic scene in a fictional historical drama.
- 結衣 Yuiお願いします、私を養子にして。onegaishimasu, watashi o youshi ni shite.Please, adopt me.
- 蓮 Ren結衣、そんなことはできないよ。yui, sonna koto wa dekinai yo.Yui, I can't do such a thing.
- 結衣 Yui蓮さん、どうしてもお願いします！ren-san, doushitemo onegaishimasu!Ren, please, I beg of you!
- 蓮 Ren考えさせてくれ。kangaesasete kure.Let me think about it.
