〜ませんか
Won't you ~? / How about ~?
〜ませんか ("won't you ~?") is a polite way to invite someone or suggest doing something together. It leaves room for the other person to say no.
How to make it
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| Verb ます-stem + ませんか | 食べます → 食べませんか |
| Verb ます-stem + ませんか (with いっしょに) | 行きます → いっしょに行きませんか |
| Irregular verbs | します → しませんか／来ます → 来ませんか |
| Answering: 〜ましょう／ちょっと… | ええ、行きましょう |
Meaning and examples
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1. Inviting someone
Ask someone to join you in an activity, often with いっしょに (together).
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いっしょに食べませんか。
いっしょにたべませんか。
issho ni tabemasen ka.
Would you like to eat together?
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日よう日にえいがを見に行きませんか。
にちようびにえいがをみにいきませんか。
nichiyoubi ni eiga o mi ni ikimasen ka.
Would you like to go and see a film on Sunday?
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山川さん、いっしょにテニスをしませんか。
やまかわさん、いっしょにテニスをしませんか。
yamakawa san, issho ni tenisu o shimasen ka.
Mr Yamakawa, would you like to play tennis with me?
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2. Suggesting or offering
Suggest an idea politely, such as taking a break or having some tea.
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ちょっと休みませんか。
ちょっとやすみませんか。
chotto yasumimasen ka.
Shall we take a short break?
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コーヒーを飲みませんか。
コーヒーをのみませんか。
koohii o nomimasen ka.
Would you like some coffee?
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3. Making plans
Combine it with a time or place to propose a plan, such as meeting on a certain day.
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今日のばん、うちへ来ませんか。
きょうのばん、うちへきませんか。
kyou no ban, uchi e kimasen ka.
Would you like to come to my place tonight?
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土よう日の十時に駅で会いませんか。
どようびのじゅうじにえきであいませんか。
doyoubi no juu ji ni eki de aimasen ka.
How about meeting at the station at ten on Saturday?
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Nuance
ませんか looks negative, but it is not asking "don't you eat?". It is a gentle invitation, and it is softer than ましょう because it asks for the other person's opinion. To say yes, answer ええ、〜ましょう or いいですね. To say no politely, Japanese speakers rarely say いいえ; they say something like すみません、ちょっと… and leave the sentence unfinished.
Compared with
ましょう (let's) assumes the other person will join. ませんか asks if they want to, so it is softer for a first invitation.
ましょうか offers to do something (Shall I ~?) or asks about details of a plan already agreed. ませんか is the first invitation.
ません is a simple negative (I don't). Adding か with a rising tone turns it into an invitation.
Common mistakes
Wrongいっしょに食べるませんか。
Rightいっしょに食べませんか。
ませんか attaches to the ます-stem, not the dictionary form.
Wrongきのう、いっしょにえいがを見ませんか。
Rightあした、いっしょにえいがを見ませんか。
ませんか invites someone to do something in the future, so it can't go with a past time like きのう.
WrongA「コーヒーを飲みませんか。」B「はい、飲みません。」
RightA「コーヒーを飲みませんか。」B「ええ、いいですね。」
ませんか is an invitation, so answer as if accepting, not with a negative verb.
Practice
JLPT style: choose the best answer for （ ）.
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1A「日よう日にいっしょに山へ行き（ ）。」B「ええ、いいですね。」
B accepts with いいですね, so A gave an invitation: 行きませんか. The other forms are statements or past questions.
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2A「コーヒーを飲みませんか。」B「ええ、（ ）。」
To accept an invitation, answer with ましょう. The negative forms would refuse.
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3A「あした テニスを（ ）か。」B「すみません、あしたは ちょっと…。」
しませんか is the invitation form, and B politely declines it. しますか would just ask about a fact.
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4つかれましたね。ちょっと（ ）ませんか。
ませんか attaches to the ます-stem, and the stem of 休む is 休み. The dictionary form, て-form and ない-form cannot come before ませんか.
FAQ
Why is an invitation in the negative?
Asking "won't you ~?" gives the other person an easy way to say no, so it sounds polite. English does the same with "Won't you join us?".
What is the difference between ませんか and ましょうか?
ませんか invites someone to do something with you. ましょうか is used to offer help (Shall I ~?) or to discuss details after you both agree.
How do I say no to a ませんか invitation?
Say すみません and then something like ちょっと… or the reason, such as あしたはしごとがあります. A plain いいえ sounds blunt.
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