What is なさい?
なさい sits right between a polite request and a blunt command. It's firmer than ください but nowhere near as rough as the imperative form. Think of the tone a parent uses with their kid: "Eat your vegetables." "Go to bed." "Do your homework." Not angry, not asking -- just telling.
You'll hear it from parents, teachers, bosses in certain contexts, and in instructions like recipes or test directions. It carries authority but not aggression. If you've been studying the imperative and negative imperative, なさい is the form you'd actually use in real life when you need someone to do something without being rude about it.
How to Form It
Take the verb stem (i-form) and add なさい. If you already know how to make ます form, just swap ます for なさい.
U-verbs (Group I)
| Dictionary | Stem | なさい Form |
|---|---|---|
| 行く (iku) | 行き | 行きなさい |
| 読む (yomu) | 読み | 読みなさい |
| 書く (kaku) | 書き | 書きなさい |
| 話す (hanasu) | 話し | 話しなさい |
| 飲む (nomu) | 飲み | 飲みなさい |
Ru-verbs (Group II)
| Dictionary | Stem | なさい Form |
|---|---|---|
| 食べる (taberu) | 食べ | 食べなさい |
| 見る (miru) | 見 | 見なさい |
| 起きる (okiru) | 起き | 起きなさい |
Irregular Verbs
| Dictionary | Stem | なさい Form |
|---|---|---|
| する | し | しなさい |
| 来る (kuru) | き | きなさい |
The Casual Shortening: なさい → な
In casual speech, なさい often gets chopped down to just な:
- 早くしなさい → 早くしな (Hurry up.)
- 食べなさい → 食べな (Eat.)
- 気をつけなさい → 気をつけな (Be careful.)
This shortened な sounds casual and warm. Don't confuse it with the negative imperative な, which attaches to the dictionary form. The difference:
- 食べな (stem + な) = Eat. (shortened なさい)
- 食べるな (dictionary + な) = Don't eat! (negative imperative)
Totally opposite meanings, so watch which form な is attached to.
Where You'll Hear なさい
Parents to children:
- 宿題をやりなさい。 (Do your homework.)
- もう寝なさい。 (Go to bed already.)
Teachers to students:
- 静かにしなさい。 (Be quiet.)
- よく聞きなさい。 (Listen carefully.)
Tests and instructions:
- 正しい答えを選びなさい。 (Choose the correct answer.)
Our lesson on polite requests and permission covers the full spectrum from ください (soft request) through なさい (firm direction) and beyond.
Example Sentences
-
もう寝なさい。 (mou nenasai.)
Go to bed already. -
野菜もちゃんと食べなさい。 (yasai mo chanto tabenasai.)
Eat your vegetables too. -
自分で考えなさい。 (jibun de kangaenasai.)
Think for yourself. -
静かにしなさい！ (shizuka ni shinasai!)
Be quiet! -
ここに名前を書きなさい。 (koko ni namae wo kakinasai.)
Write your name here. -
早く準備しな。 (hayaku junbi shina.)
Get ready quick. -
よく聞きなさい、大事なことだよ。 (yoku kikinasai, daiji na koto da yo.)
Listen carefully, this is important. -
次の文を読みなさい。 (tsugi no bun wo yominasai.)
Read the following sentence.