Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 放っといてよ | hottoite yo | |
| 独りにしてくれ | hitori ni shite kure | |
| 独りにしてください | hitori ni shite kudasai | formal |
| 余計なお世話だ | yokei na osewada | informal |
The phrase is used to tell someone to stop talking to you.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 独りにしてください literally translates to "please make (me) into a single person".
Which one should you use?
放っといてよ focuses on the act of being left undisturbed or ignored, whereas 独りにしてください focuses on the state of being alone. If someone is offering unwanted advice or help, instead of asking for solitude, you should use 余計なお世話だ, which means "it's none of your business".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
独りにしてください is the formal way to ask to be left alone. 独りにしてくれ uses the imperative-style 'kure', making it sound more forceful and typically masculine compared to the polite 'kudasai' version. 余計なお世話だ is an informal way to tell someone their interference is uncalled for.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase 放っといてよ, you can make the command sound more blunt or less emotive by dropping the sentence-ending particle よ, resulting in 放っといて.
How do you pronounce it?
hottoite yo
Did you know?
- The verb in 放っといて is actually the same one used for 'throwing' an object or 'abandoning' a task, suggesting that to be left alone is to be 'cast aside' like a piece of junk.
- Because Japanese culture values social harmony, using the polite form 独りにしてください can actually feel more jarring and 'cold' than a blunt command, as it uses formal etiquette to create a wall of distance.
- Using the word 余計 in 余計なお世話だ implies that the help being offered is 'surplus' or 'unnecessary waste', which can be quite stinging in a social context.
Examples in context
- 今は放っといてよ。Ima wa hottoite yo.Leave me alone for now.
- もう、放っといてよ！Mou, hottoite yo!Geez, just leave me alone!
- 何も言わないで、放っといてよ。Nani mo iwanaide, hottoite yo.Don't say anything, just leave me alone.
Example conversation
Kenta is upset and Yui is trying to comfort him.
- 結衣 Yui健太、大丈夫？Kenta, daijoubu?Kenta, are you okay?
- 健太 Kenta放っといてよ、結衣。Hottoite yo, Yui.Leave me alone, Yui.
- 結衣 Yuiでも、話を聞くよ。Demo, hanashi o kiku yo.But, I'll listen to you.
- 健太 Kenta今は本当に放っといてよ。Ima wa hontou ni hottoite yo.I really need you to leave me alone right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “leave me alone” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
