もらえますか
moraemasuka
In Japanese, "can I have" is expressed as もらえますか (moraemasuka).
もらえますか is a polite request used when asking someone to give you something.
Which one should you use?
While もらえますか asks if it is possible for you to receive something, ください is a more direct way to say "please give me".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
もらえますか is polite and suitable for use with strangers, staff in shops or colleagues. However, it is not formal enough for high-level business or extremely formal settings. In those cases, you should use the humble and formal いただけますか, which means "could I receive". For casual contexts among friends, you can use the informal もらえる？ or ちょうだい.
How does it change in a sentence?
The object being requested is marked with the particle を (wo) before もらえますか.
How do you pronounce it?
moraemasuka
Did you know?
- In extremely formal settings, いただけますか comes from いただく, which literally means 'to lift up' to one's mouth, imagining an offering from a superior.
- If you use the casual ちょうだい with a superior, it can sound like a child speaking to a parent. While it means 'give me', it carries a tone of extreme familiarity or even a command that is inappropriate for adults in a professional hierarchy.
- Using もらえますか is often more polite than 'please give me' because it asks about 'possibility'. By asking 'is it possible for me to receive', you provide the listener with a polite way to say 'no' without direct confrontation.
Examples in context
- お茶をもらえますか。Can I have some tea?This example shows how to request tea using もらえますか.Tatoeba #174250 by tommy_san, translation #2347263 by CK
- 時間割をもらえますか。Can I have the schedule?This example shows how to request a schedule using もらえますか.Tatoeba #150530 by bunbuku, translation #13490481 by CK
- メモ用紙をもらえますか？Can I have some scratch paper?This example shows how to request scratch paper using もらえますか.Tatoeba #12635537 by bunbuku, translation #10110289 by ddnktr
- 水をください。Can I have some water, please?
- お茶をいただけますか。Can I have some tea, please?
- これ、もらえる？Can I have this?
- お菓子をちょうだい。Can I have some snacks, please?
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a cafe, Hiroto is ordering from Misaki, the waitress.
- 大翔 Hirotoメニューをもらえますか。Menyuu o moraemasu ka.Can I have the menu?
- 美咲 Misakiはい、どうぞ。Hai, douzo.Yes, here you go.
- 大翔 Hirotoありがとうございます。Arigatou gozaimasu.Thank you very much.
- 美咲 Misakiいいえ。Iie.You're welcome.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
