お座りください
osuwari kudasai
The English phrase "sit down please" is expressed in Japanese as お座りください (osuwari kudasai).
This phrase is a polite request for someone to take a seat. It is commonly used in professional environments like waiting rooms, restaurants or during formal meetings.
Which one should you use?
The phrase お座りください is a highly respectful version of the request. For a standard polite request, you can use 座ってください. The informal version is Suwatte, which functions more like "Hey, sit down."
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
お座りください is a highly polite and formal way to ask someone to sit, often used by staff toward customers or in formal settings. Osuwatte kudasai is also considered a formal way to say "Please sit down". In contrast, Suwatte is informal.
How does it change in a sentence?
While お座りください is highly formal and respectful, the form 座ってください (suwatte kudasai) serves as a standard polite request.
How do you pronounce it?
osuwari kudasai
Did you know?
- While お座りください is used for people, the word お座り (osuwari) is the standard command used to train dogs to sit in Japan.
- If you are invited to sit in a formal Japanese home, you may be directed to the kamiza, the 'upper seat' reserved for the most honored guest.
- In very formal Japanese culture, you might not even use a verb for 'sitting' but instead use a phrase meaning 'to rest your body' to show higher levels of respect.
Examples in context
- お座りください。Sit down, please.This sentence is useful for practicing the phrase お座りください.Tatoeba #978433 by Narumi, translation #38571 by CK
- こちらへ、お座りください。Kochira e, oswari kudasai.Please, sit down over here.
Example conversation
Misaki welcomes Kenta into her office.
- 美咲 Misakiいらっしゃいませ。どうぞお座りください。irasshaimase. douzo osuwari kudasai.Welcome. Please, have a seat.
- 健太 Kentaありがとうございます。arigatou gozaimasu.Thank you very much.
- 美咲 Misakiお茶を淹れますね。ocha o iremasu ne.I will make some tea.
- 健太 Kentaお願いします。onegaishimasu.Please do.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
