お先にどうぞ
osaki ni dōzo
In Japanese, "after you" is said as お先にどうぞ (osaki ni dōzo).
You use お先にどうぞ as a polite way to invite someone else to go first. This is commonly used when you are yielding a path, a seat, an elevator or a turn in a sequence to another person.
Meaning: polite invitation for another to go first (phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of お先に (ahead/first) and どうぞ (please/go ahead). The o at the beginning of osaki is an honorific prefix that makes the phrase polite.
How do you pronounce it?
osaki ni dōzo
When do people say it?
When someone offers you the way using this phrase, a typical response is to say ありがとうございます (thank you).
Did you know?
- In many Japanese social settings, if you use お先にどうぞ too frequently with a superior, it can inadvertently signal that you are trying to manage or direct them, which may be seen as rude.
- The word 先 (saki) in the phrase, which means 'ahead' or 'before', is also used in Japanese to describe the 'point' or 'tip' of an object, like the tip of a pencil.
- If two people both insist on using お先にどうぞ to let the other go first, it can lead to a polite 'standoff' that is considered a social grace rather than an inconvenience.
Examples in context
- お先にどうぞ。After you.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase お先にどうぞ.Tatoeba #226990 by bunbuku, translation #505870 by wma
- いえ、お先にどうぞ。ie, osaki ni douzo.No, after you.
Example conversation
Hiroto and Yui are entering a room together.
- 大翔 Hirotoお先にどうぞ。osaki ni dōzo.After you.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとうございます。arigatō gozaimasu.Thank you very much.
- 結衣 Yui大翔さんもどうぞ。Hiroto-san mo dōzo.Please come in too, Hiroto.
- 大翔 Hirotoはい、失礼します。hai, shitsurei shimasu.Yes, excuse me.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
