てほしい / ていただけませんか

JLPT N4 Japanese self-study　·　~12 min　·　Want you to ~ / Could you possibly ~?

'I want you to be on time.' 'Could you possibly explain that again?' Japanese has a rich system for making requests — from casual wishes to ultra-polite business requests.

What you'll learn

• 〜てほしい: want someone to do ~ (personal wish)
• 〜てもらえますか: could you ~ for me? (polite everyday)
• 〜ていただけませんか: could you possibly ~? (formal/business)

How to study “てほしい / ていただけませんか”

“てほしい / ていただけませんか” (Want you to ~ / Could you possibly ~?) is a JLPT N4 chapter of our free Japanese self-study course, about 12 min. You learn by doing — flashcard drills and fill-in-the-blank quizzes graded on the spot — completely free, with no sign-up and no ad wall. Once it clicks, read the matching in-depth explainer over in Grammar.