Have you ever been addressed with the words “Onegai shimasu” chanted by children raising funds for the needy on the streets? The Japanese for “to wish, desire or hope for” is negau, which has the meaning of conveying one’s hopes or desires to someone or the gods and of looking forward to their materialization.

The polite form of addressing a person with a wish is Onegai shimasu (I ask of you, I beg you, please). This expression is often used when asking a person to do a favor. Ordinarily, this expression is used after making one’s wish known. For example, “Mado o akete kudasai. Onegai shimasu” (Open the window, please). This way, it becomes more polite than merely saying “mado o akete kudasai,” and the fact that one wants this done is emphasized.

Sometimes it is prefaced by yoroshiku when expressing the hope that the matter will be carried out to the best of the other parties ability. In any case, both yoroshiku and onegai shimasu are most useful and polite expressions when dealing with the Japanese and will no doubt be greatly appreciated by both sides.日本語 (Japanese)