How to tell them apart
なさい gives a direct order from someone in a superior position (parent, teacher) to someone below them, so it sounds firm and top-down rather than like a request. ください softens a verb into a polite request and works between equals or when asking a favor, where なさい would sound bossy or condescending. The relationship and tone decide which one fits: 早く寝なさい (parent to child) vs 早く寝てください (friend or colleague).
- なさい Use なさい when you are in a superior position giving a firm instruction to someone younger or lower in rank.
- 下さい・ください Use ください when politely requesting an action from someone you are not superior to.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| なさい nasai | A polite or firm way to give a command | N4 |
| 下さい・ください sai kudasai | Used to politely ask someone to do something | N5 |
なさい nasai
A polite or firm way to give a command
なさい expresses a polite but firm command, often used by teachers, parents, or supervisors to tell someone to do something. It attaches to the masu-stem of a verb, as in 食べなさい, 読みなさい, and しなさい, with 来る becoming 来なさい. It sounds more direct and authoritative than てください, so it is unsuitable for requests to superiors and is common in instructions, classrooms, and parenting.
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１語をかっこに入れなさい。
Put a word in parentheses.
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フランス語を話すのは止めなさい。
Stop speaking French.
下さい・ください sai kudasai
Used to politely ask someone to do something
ください makes a polite request for someone to do something for the speaker. It follows the te-form of a verb, as in 食べてください, and uses ないでください for a negative request. It can also follow a noun to ask for an item or service, as in 水をください. It is polite but direct, so it is used toward equals or people below you, not toward superiors in very formal situations.
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聞かせてください。
Let me hear it.
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どうぞ、見学していってください。
Please, go and take a look.
なさい and 下さい・ください are JLPT N5–N4 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side on meanings, usage and example sentences, so you can tell them apart.