なさい Japanese Grammar Lesson

なさい Japanese Grammar Lesson

Grammar Type: Auxiliary Verb

Essential Meaning: Do X (imperative form used by superiors to give commands to inferiors)

Construction:

Verb ます-Form + なさい
- E.g. 話はなしなさい [Speak.]
- E.g. 食たべなさい [Eat.]

Notes:

なさい is the imperative form of the polite honorific verb なさる [To do]. It is used by superiors to give commands to inferiors (e.g. a teacher to a student).

ください is the opposite of なさい. It is used by inferiors to make requests of superiors (e.g. a student to a teacher).

There is also an impolite command form that includes such strong commands as 読よめ! [Read!] or 食たべろ! [Eat!] One example is the famous Bruce Lee quote:「考かんがえるな。感かんじろ！」[Don’t think. Feel!] These informal command forms are very strong and aggressive and should generally be avoided.

Example Sentences:

もっとたくさん食たべなさい。[Eat more.]

遊あそばないで勉強べんきょうしなさい。[Don’t play. Study.]

早はやくうちに帰かえって来きなさいよ。[Come home early.]

もうおそいから歯はを磨みがいて寝ねなさい。[It’s already late, so brush your teeth and go to bed.]

WILD Examples:

Listen to this line from 1:47: 酒さけが空あいたグラスあればすぐに注つぎなさい、みんながつまみやすいように串くし外はずしなさい [If there’s an empty glass, fill it immediately…Separate the food from the skewers so that everyone can snack more easily] The context here is that a boss is condescendingly giving commands to the singer.

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