ボールをもらえますか？
booru o moraemasu ka?
In Japanese, "can i have a ball?" is said as ボールをもらえますか？ (booru o moraemasu ka?)
This phrase is a polite request used when asking someone to give you a ball.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built from ボール (ball), o (the object marker), moraemasu (can receive) and ka (the question marker).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more formal command such as "Please give me a ball," you can use Bōru o kudasai. If you want to specify a baseball, use Yakyūbōru o kudasai. In very casual settings, such as speaking with friends or children, you can use the informal Bōru, chotto kureru? or the even more casual ボールをちょうだい？
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb moraemasu is the potential form of morau (to receive), which expresses the ability or possibility of receiving something.
How do you pronounce it?
booru o moraemasu ka?
Did you know?
- If you use the casual ちょうだい (chōdai) to ask for a ball, you are using a form that is culturally associated with much younger children or women in specific social roles.
- In Japanese, 'ball' is often used in compound words for other objects, such as ボールペン (bōrupen) for a ballpoint pen, showing how deeply the loanword has integrated into the language.
- Because Japanese often omits the subject, if you say ボールをもらえますか？, you are literally asking 'Can a ball be received?', leaving the 'who' to be understood from context.
Examples in context
- ボールをもらえますか？Bōru o moraemasu ka?Can I have a ball?
- 新しいボールをもらえますか？Atarashii bōru o moraemasu ka?Can I have a new ball?
- 赤いボールをもらえますか？Akai bōru o moraemasu ka?Can I have a red ball?
Example conversation
Yota is asking Hiromi for a ball to play with.
- 陽太 Yota陽葵さん、ボールをもらえますか？Hiromi-san, bōru o moraemasu ka?Hiromi, can I have a ball?
- 陽葵 Himariいいですよ。はい、どうぞ。Ii desu yo. Hai, dōzo.Sure. Here you go.
- 陽太 Yotaありがとうございます。Arigatō gozaimasu.Thank you very much.
- 陽葵 Himariいいえ、どういたしまして。Iie, dōitashimashite.No, you're welcome.
