Use 頼む to ask someone for a favor or order an item.
The idea
頼む is a godan verb. Mark the person asked with に and the favor or item with を. To specify an action, use a noun such as 手伝い or a clause such as 確認してほしいと頼む.
| Dictionary form | Polite non-past | Polite negative | Polite past | て form |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 頼む | 頼みます | 頼みません | 頼みました | 頼んで |
Examples
- 友達に助けを頼みました。I asked a friend for help.
- 同僚に書類を確認してほしいと頼みました。I asked my colleague to check the document.
- カフェでコーヒーを頼みました。I ordered coffee at the café.
- 明日、姉に猫の世話を頼みます。Tomorrow I will ask my older sister to look after the cat.
- だれにも掃除を頼みませんでした。I did not ask anyone to do the cleaning.
- お店に花の配達を頼んで、帰りました。After asking the shop to deliver the flowers, I went home.
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Watch out
頼む describes making a request; て形＋もらう presents the action as a favor received. A direct 頼む can sound blunt to a superior, so choose a polite request suited to the situation.
Try it yourself
＿。（頼む→ます）
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頼みます
頼みます is the polite non-past: the final む changes to み before ます.
＿。（頼む→て）
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頼んで
頼んで is the て form; godan verbs ending in む change む to んで.
友達＿手伝いを頼みました。（に／を）
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に
に marks the friend as the person asked; を marks the help requested.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
＿。（頼む→ます）
＿。（頼む→て）
友達＿手伝いを頼みました。（に／を）
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write a sentence asking a friend for help, then put it in the polite past.