〜ませんか — Won't You ~? (Invitation)
Properties
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Level | N5 |
| Function | Polite negative question (invitation / suggestion) |
| Register | Polite |
Meaning
ませんか is used to make a polite invitation or gentle suggestion to someone. It asks whether the other person would like to do something together.
- "Won't you ~ with me?"
- "How about ~ing?"
- "Would you like to ~?"
It frames the invitation as a question, leaving the decision comfortably with the listener.
Structure
[Verb ます-stem] + ませんか
| Verb (dictionary) | ます-stem | + ませんか |
|---|---|---|
| 食べる (taberu) | 食べ (tabe) | 食べませんか |
| 飲む (nomu) | 飲み (nomi) | 飲みませんか |
| 行く (iku) | 行き (iki) | 行きませんか |
| 見る (miru) | 見 (mi) | 見ませんか |
Comparison: ませんか vs. ましょう
| Form | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ましょう | Stronger "let's ~"; assumes the other person will agree | 食べましょう — Let's eat! |
| ませんか | Softer invitation; asks if the other person wants to | 食べませんか — Won't you eat (with me)? |
Use ましょう when you are fairly certain the other person will join or when responding to an invitation. Use ませんか when you are extending the invitation and want to give the listener a polite choice.
Examples
-
一緒に映画を見ませんか。 Issho ni eiga wo mimasen ka. Won't you watch a movie with me?
-
昼ご飯を食べませんか。 Hirugohan wo tabemasen ka. How about having lunch (together)?
-
週末、公園へ行きませんか。 Shuumatsu, kouen e ikimasen ka. Would you like to go to the park this weekend?
-
コーヒーを飲みませんか。 Koohii wo nomimasen ka. Won't you have some coffee?
-
一緒に日本語を勉強しませんか。 Issho ni nihongo wo benkyou shimasen ka. How about studying Japanese together?
ますか vs. ませんか
| Form | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ますか | Plain yes/no question | 映画を見ますか — Do you watch movies? |
| ませんか | Invitation / suggestion | 映画を見ませんか — Won't you watch a movie (with me)? |
ますか simply asks for information. ませんか carries the additional nuance of inviting the listener to do something with you.
Common Mistakes
-
Using ましょうか instead of ませんか for invitations to others. ましょうか means "Shall we ~?" or "Shall I ~?" and sounds more like offering a service or proposing jointly. ませんか is warmer and more natural for social invitations.
-
Forgetting the ます-stem. Wrong: 食べるませんか. Correct: 食べませんか. Always drop the る (or conjugate to the ます-stem) before adding ませんか.
-
Treating ませんか as a negative statement. Despite containing ません (negative), ませんか in this context is not negative — it is a polite invitation. Context makes the meaning clear.