Grammar › Verbs & Politeness
〜なさい — a direct command (parent/teacher tone)
A firm instruction: 早く寝なさい — go to bed now
ます-stem + なさい gives a direct command — firmer than an invitation, but softer and less harsh than the plain imperative form. It's strongly associated with parents talking to children or teachers talking to students, and sounds odd or condescending between adult peers.
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| ます-stem + なさい | 寝る → 寝なさい — go to bed |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| もう遅いから、早く寝なさい。 | もうおそいから、はやくねなさい。 mouosoikara、hayakunenasai。 | It's already late, so go to bed now. |
| 宿題をやってから遊びなさい。 | しゅくだいをやってからあそびなさい。 shukudaiwoyattekaraasobinasai。 | Do your homework before you play. |
| 静かにしなさい。 | しずかにしなさい。 shizukanishinasai。 | Be quiet. |
🔊 Tap any Japanese sentence to hear it; kanji link to their study pages.
Watch out
なさい carries a built-in parent-to-child or teacher-to-student tone — using it on a coworker or stranger, even politely intended, comes across as condescending rather than firm-but-fair.