〜ませんか (Would You Like To?)
Extend polite invitations.
Making Plans
You are in Japan and want to invite a friend or a colleague to do something together. Perhaps you want to grab a coffee, watch a movie, or go to a park. In Japanese, there is a specific, polite way to suggest an activity that invites the other person to join you.
明日、映画を見ませんか。
Would you like to watch a movie tomorrow?
How to form invitations
To invite someone politely, use the negative polite form of the verb (〜ません) and add the question particle か.
Tip
Examples in Context
See how the pattern works with different verbs.
一緒に昼ご飯を食べませんか。
Would you like to eat lunch together?
コーヒーを飲みませんか。
Would you like to drink some coffee?
明日、公園へ行き【ませんか】？
Hint: Use the polite invitation form.
Would you like to go to the park tomorrow?
Nuance and Comparison
How does this compare to other ways of suggesting actions?
Invitation styles
〜ませんか
Polite invitation (Would you like to?)
行きませんか
〜ましょう
Suggestion/Let's do (Let's go)
行きましょう
Which form is more of a 'suggestion' rather than an 'invitation'?
- 〜ませんか
- ✓ 〜ましょう
〜ましょう (mashou) is more of a 'Let's do this' suggestion, while 〜ませんか (masenka) asks for the other person's preference.
Deep Dive: Accepting and Declining
When someone invites you using 〜ませんか, you should know how to respond.
Responding to invitations
Lesson Summary
The 〜ませんか form is the standard way to offer a polite invitation in Japanese. It turns the negative polite verb form into a question, allowing the listener to accept or decline comfortably.