お座りください
osuwari kudasai
To say 'take a seat' in Japanese, you use お座りください (osuwari kudasai).
This phrase is a polite invitation for someone to sit down. In many situations, a Japanese speaker might simply say どうぞ (meaning 'please' or 'go ahead') while gesturing toward a chair instead of using the full phrase.
Which one should you use?
While お座りください is more formal and respectful, 座ってください is a standard polite way to say 'please sit down'. In casual settings among friends or peers, the colloquial and shorter version 座りな is used. For a formal or official environment, you may use お掛けください.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
お座りください is a formal and respectful expression. You can increase the politeness by saying どうぞお座りください, which combines the polite expression どうぞ with お座りください. In contrast, 座ってください is standard polite, while 座りな is colloquial.
How do you pronounce it?
osuwari kudasai
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using only お座り to mean 'please sit'. Using the honorific prefix without the polite kudasai or a proper verb ending can sound like a command given to a pet.
Did you know?
- In traditional Japanese rooms with tatami mats, the act of taking a seat involves a specific etiquette of kneeling called seiza, where one sits on their heels.
- The word お座り is the standard command used by Japanese dog trainers to tell a pet to 'sit'. Using this word alone toward a human can be perceived as treating them like an animal.
- The colloquial version 座りな is not just a shorter version of the phrase, but it carries a specific 'bossy' or 'parental' nuance that is common among people in higher social positions.
Examples in context
- お座りください。Please take a seat.This sentence is useful for saying 'Please take a seat.' using お座りください.Tatoeba #978433 by Narumi, translation #38593 by CK
- どうぞ、こちらにお座りください。douzo, kochira ni osuwari kudasai.Please, take a seat here.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A waiting room at a clinic.
- 大翔 Hiroto名前を呼ばれるまで、こちらにお座りください。namae o yobareru made, kochira ni osuwari kudasai.Please take a seat here until your name is called.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとうございます。arigatou gozaimasu.Thank you.
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣さん、こちらへどうぞ。Yui-san, kochira e douzo.Ms. Yui, this way please.
- 結衣 Yuiはい、失礼します。hai, shitsurei shimasu.Yes, excuse me.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
