Episode 83 - How do mother or teacher tell kids to "do this!!" (stem + nasai)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4tXuGwviHU&t=216s

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なさい (nasai). Meaning: do this (soft/firm command).

“nasai” is the polite command form in Japanese and is used in a variety of formal situations. You can use “nasai” when you are giving an order to someone younger or of lower status than yourself.

It is used in combination with a Verb’s stem form and can only be used with a positive Verb.

食べます → 食べなさい

tabemasu → tabenasai

Eat your food. (command)

飲みます Nomimasu → 飲みなさい nominasai

します Shimasu → しなさい shinasai

聞きます kikimasu → 聞きなさい kikinasai

言います iimasu → 言いなさい iinasai

野菜を食べなさい

Yasai wo tabenasai

Eat your vegetables

Take a look at these example sentences below to see the type of situations where you can use なさい。

Imagine that you are a teacher and you want to firmly tell your student to answer a question, you could say.

この問題に答えなさい

Kono mondai ni kotaenasai

Answer to this question.

For the next situation, imagine that you are a mother and your child has come in with something they are dying to tell you. They want to tell you so much that they are speaking to fast. You can say:

ゆっくり話しなさい。

Yukkuri hanashinasai

Speak slowly.

Now it’s late, you need to tell your child that it’s time to go to bed. You can politely command them to do so with:

もう寝なさい。

Mou nenasai

Go to bed now.

In addition, 〜なさい is commonly used in questions on exams. If you have taken Japanese tests before, you have probably seen 〜なさい more than a couple of times.

正解を選びなさい。

Seikai o erabinasai

Choose the correct answer.

In conversation, the last さい may be dropped to just be な.

Ex)

食べな

tabena

Eat your food.

もう寝な。

Mou nena

Go to bed now.

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