ませんか
masen ka
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Meaning
"Won't you ~? / Would you like to ~?" (polite invitation).
ます-stem + ませんか means "won't you ...?" or "would you like to ...?": 映画を見に行きませんか "Would you like to go and see a film?". It looks like a negative question, but it is a polite invitation. It is gentler than ましょう because it leaves the decision to the listener.
Inviting someone to eat, drink, go somewhere, or join an activity. Common with でも (コーヒーでも飲みませんか) and 一緒に.
Formation
V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.
V-ます + ませんか
Visual diagram
- Step 1コーヒーを飲みますI drink coffee
- Step 2コーヒーを飲みませんかWon't you have a coffee? (invitation)
- Step 3ええ、飲みましょうYes, let's. (acceptance)
Natural examples
週末に映画を見に行きませんか。
しゅうまつに えいがを みに いきませんか。
Would you like to go and see a film at the weekend?
Invitation with 〜に行く.
コーヒーでも飲みませんか。
コーヒーでも のみませんか。
Won't you have a coffee or something?
でも + ませんか: "coffee or something".
私の家に来ませんか。
わたしの いえに きませんか。
Won't you come to my house?
Inviting someone to your house.
今晩、一緒に晩ご飯を食べませんか。
こんばん、いっしょに ばんごはんを たべませんか。
Would you like to have dinner together tonight?
食べます → 食べ + ませんか.
A：日曜日、テニスをしませんか。 B：すみません、日曜日はちょっと…。
にちようび、テニスを しませんか。 すみません、にちようびは ちょっと…。
Won't you play tennis on Sunday? — Sorry, Sunday is a bit...
The polite way to decline: ちょっと… without finishing.
Similar grammar and the difference
A firmer "let's", and the usual way to accept a ませんか invitation. Compare side by side
Offer to do something for the listener ("shall I?"). Compare side by side
Without か it is just a negative statement. Compare side by side
Common mistakes
- ✗
- 映画を見ますか。(as an invitation)
- ✓
- 映画を見ませんか。
- Why
- 見ますか asks about habits; the invitation form is ませんか.
- ✗
- A：飲みませんか。B：いいえ、飲みません。
- ✓
- B：すみません、ちょっと…。
- Why
- A flat いいえ sounds rude; decline softly.
- ✗
- 見るませんか
- ✓
- 見ませんか
- Why
- ませんか attaches to the ます-stem.
Accept with ええ、いいですね／ぜひ; decline softly with すみません、ちょっと…. Note the difference from a plain negative question: 食べませんか as "don't you eat (it)?" is understood from context; the invitation reading is by far the most common on the exam.
JLPT N5 tips
On the exam
- In listening and grammar, ませんか + a reply of ええ、いいですね／ぜひ／〜ましょう is the invitation pattern.
- If the sentence has 一緒に or 〜に行き, the blank ending is ませんか (invitation), not ますか.
Frequently asked questions
What does ませんか mean?
"Won't you ~? / Would you like to ~?" (polite invitation). ます-stem + ませんか means "won't you ...?" or "would you like to ...?": 映画を見に行きませんか "Would you like to go and see a film?". It looks like a negative question, but it is a polite invitation. It is gentler than ましょう because it leaves the decision to the listener.
How do you form ませんか?
V-ます + ませんか. V = verb, N = noun, A = adjective.
When is ませんか used?
Inviting someone to eat, drink, go somewhere, or join an activity. Common with でも (コーヒーでも飲みませんか) and 一緒に.
What is the difference between ませんか and ましょう?
A firmer "let's", and the usual way to accept a ませんか invitation.
What is the difference between ませんか and ましょうか?
Offer to do something for the listener ("shall I?").
What is a common mistake with ませんか?
Wrong: 映画を見ますか。(as an invitation) Right: 映画を見ませんか。 見ますか asks about habits; the invitation form is ませんか.
Quick check
What goes in ( )? 週末に 映画を 見に（ ）。