ご寄付をお願いします
gokifu o onegaishimasu
The English phrase "please donate" is translated into Japanese as ご寄付をお願いします (gokifu o onegaishimasu).
This phrase is a polite request for people to give money or goods to a charitable cause. It is commonly used in written appeals, such as on donation forms, fundraising brochures or official organization websites.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of go (an honorific prefix), kifu (donation), o (the object marker) and onegaishimasu (please or I humbly request).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ご寄付をお願いします is the appropriate formal register for official charity appeals, non-profit websites or formal letters. A more direct and standard way to say "please donate" is 寄付してください, which is considered polite/standard but less formal than ご寄付をお願いします.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word kifu (donation) takes the honorific prefix go- to show respect to the potential donor's action.
How do you pronounce it?
gokifu o onegaishimasu
Did you know?
- Many Japanese donation campaigns avoid the direct feeling of 'charity' and instead frame the request around en, which means 'fate' or 'connection'. The goal is to build a lasting bond between the donor and the cause.
- In Japanese culture, the act of donating is often associated with kifu but the act of giving a small offering at a shrine or temple is called osaisen. While both involve giving money for a spiritual or charitable cause, osaisen is never used for secular non-profits.
- In Japanese, the word kifu meaning 'donation' can be pronounced exactly like the word kifu meaning 'the record of a game' in Shogi or Go. Only the kanji characters and the conversation's context reveal which one is being used.
Examples in context
- 環境保護団体への寄付をお願いいたします。Please donate to the environmental conservation organization.
- 災害支援のために、ご寄付をお願いします。Saigai shien no tame ni, go kifu o onegaishimasu.Please donate for disaster relief.
- 子供たちのために、ご寄付をお願いします。Kodomo-tachi no tame ni, go kifu o onegaishimasu.Please donate for the sake of the children.
- 活動を続けるため、ご寄付をお願いします。Katsudou o tsuzukeru tame, go kifu o onegaishimasu.Please donate to help us continue our activities.
Example conversation
At a charity event in a local park.
- 大翔 Hiroto活動のためのご寄付をお願いします。Katsudou no tame no go kifu o onegaishimasu.Please donate to support our activities.
- 美咲 Misakiはい、これをご寄付します。Hai, kore o go kifu shimasu.Yes, I will donate this.
- 大翔 Hiroto美咲さん、ありがとうございます。Misaki-san, arigatou gozaimasu.Thank you, Misaki.
- 美咲 Misakiお役に立てて良かったです。O-yaku ni tatete yokatta desu.I'm glad I could be of help.
