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N2

お～願う

お～ねがう

Please, Could you please

こちらからのメールが届とどいているか、お確たしかめ願ねがいます。

Could you please make sure that you have received our email.

Explanation

「お／ご + verb stem / noun + 願います」 is a polite way of asking someone to do something, close to 「～してください」. You hear it in station and airport announcements, in shops, in official papers and at reception desks: 「少々お待ち願います」 (Please wait a moment), 「ご協力願います」 (Your cooperation is requested), 「お引き取り願います」 (Please leave). A more respectful business form is 「お／ご～お願い申し上げます」.

Mixed up with

「お～願います」: polite, but in announcements and official papers it has the tone of an official notice: 'please cooperate as the rules require'.

「お～ください」: a direct request, the most common in face-to-face service.

「お～お願い申し上げます」: the most respectful request, everywhere in business e-mails and formal invitations: 「よろしくお願い申し上げます」.

Examples

  1. 歩道ほどうでの禁煙きんえんにご協力きょうりょく願ねがいます。

    We kindly ask for your cooperation in not smoking on the sidewalks.

  2. 一週間いっしゅうかん以内いないにお返事へんじ願ねがいます。

    Please reply within one week's time.

  3. 書類しょるいのこの下したにサイン願ねがいます。

    Please sign at the bottom of the document.

Tested 3 times in past papers

N1 · Dec 2017, Q30N1 · Jul 2012, Q30N1 · Dec 2011, Q33