What does ～てくださいませんか mean? Japanese grammar N4

Forming it

How to use it

A polite request, seen from the angle of "the superior is doing me a favor."

• くださる is the HONORIFIC form of くれる — so the implicit subject is THE OTHER PERSON (a superior), and they are the one bestowing the action upon me.
• Compared to ～ていただけませんか: the two sentences are almost interchangeable, but the viewpoint is reversed. ～てくださいませんか puts the other person as the subject (you do it for me); ～ていただけませんか puts me as the subject (I humbly receive it). In Japanese business language, ～ていただけませんか is considered slightly more humble, so it's chosen more often.
• Note the special conjugation: くださる → くださいます, NOT くださります. It's in the same group as いらっしゃる/おっしゃる/なさる.
• Context: asking a teacher, boss, an older stranger. The shortened form familiar from N5, ～てください, is exactly the imperative form of くださる.

Examples

• 先生(せんせい)、レポートを見(み)てくださいませんか。

  Professor, could you take a look at my report?

• すみません、写真(しゃしん)を撮(と)ってくださいませんか。

  Excuse me, could you take a photo for me?

• 部長(ぶちょう)が駅(えき)まで送(おく)ってくださいました。

  The department manager kindly drove me to the station.

Keep in mind

• ～てください is a polite command — still somewhat directive. ～てくださいませんか is a question, so it's much softer.
• When a superior voluntarily helps (not because you asked) use the affirmative form: 先生が手伝ってくださいました (the teacher helped me).

Common mistakes

• Wrong先生(せんせい)、これを説明(せつめい)してくださりませんか。

  Teacher, could you please explain this to me?

  Correct先生(せんせい)、これを説明(せつめい)してくださいませんか。

  くださる has the special conjugation り → い: くださいます／くださいません.

• Wrong私(わたし)が先生(せんせい)に本(ほん)を貸(か)してくださいました。

  I lent the teacher a book.

  Correct先生(せんせい)が私(わたし)に本(ほん)を貸(か)してくださいました。

  くださる always has A SUPERIOR (the giver) as the subject, and I am the recipient — it can't be reversed.

Exam tips

• Remember the direction: くださる flows FROM a superior DOWN to me; いただく flows FROM a superior INTO my hands because I asked for it.

Related patterns

• ～ていただけませんか
• ～てください
• 尊敬動詞