Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
どうぞ is a standard polite way to say "go ahead" and is often used as a standalone phrase to be helpful and courteous. For more specific situations, other forms may be used: どうぞお先に is a formal way to say "Please go first," often used when giving someone permission to enter a room or leave a building before you. ご自由にどうぞ is a formal way to say "Please feel free to proceed," and 前へ進んでください is a formal way to say "Please proceed forward." In contrast, the informal 行っていいよ means "You can go" and is often used among friends to grant permission to proceed.
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding お先に to どうぞ to create お先にどうぞ emphasizes that the other person should go ahead of you, such as when passing through a door or walking ahead.
How do you pronounce it?
dōzo
Did you know?
- If you are invited into a room, you might respond to どうぞ by saying 失礼します, which literally means 'I am going to be rude' by entering.
- The word どう within the phrase means 'how' or 'in what way', making the literal root of 'go ahead' something akin to 'by any means'.
- While どうぞ grants permission, if someone says お先にどうぞ at a door, it is common for both people to repeatedly offer it to each other as a dance of politeness before anyone actually moves.
Examples in context
- お先にどうぞ。Please go ahead.Tatoeba #226990 by bunbuku, translation #2249790 by CK
- どうぞ、お先に！Go ahead.Tatoeba #201380 by bunbuku, translation #38546 by CM
- どうぞお話し下さい。Go ahead and talk.Tatoeba #201339 by bunbuku, translation #25783 by CK
- ありがとうございます。では、注文させていただきます。Thank you. In that case, I will place my order.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are standing in front of an elevator.
- 健太 Kentaエレベーター、どうぞ。Erebētā, dōzo.Please, go ahead with the elevator.
- 美咲 Misakiありがとうございます。健太さんも乗りますか？Arigatō gozaimasu. Kenta-san mo norimasu ka?Thank you. Are you getting on too, Kenta?
- 健太 Kentaいえ、私は次を待ちます。Ie, watashi wa tsugi o machimasu.No, I will wait for the next one.
- 美咲 Misaki分かりました。では、失礼します。Wakarimashita. Dewa, shitsurei shimasu.I understand. Well then, excuse me.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry どうぞ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries どうぞ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
