ませんか (masenka) Meaning Japanese Grammar - Would You Like To?

The expression ませんか (masenka) represents the negative interrogative form of ます and we can translated it as would you like to?, won't you? or how about doing something?.

ませんか is commonly used for invitations and requests in the polite form or simply in its negative interrogative function.

In this post we learn more about meaning of ませんか, how it is formed, and when ませんか is used through real example sentences.

How ませんか is formed

The expression ませんか is formed by:

• the suffix ます which is added to the B2 or Verb Base ending in い and creates the polite form in the present tense
• and the interrogative particle か which in Japanese replaces the question mark (?)

In the case of Ichidan verbs we have the structure:

Why don't you eat it?

With the Godan verbs we have the form:

Why don't we go?

Let's see an example of conjugation with the verb する to do, in particular with the structure:

• Noun + する
• テニスする: play tennis

How and when to use ませんか

ませんか is used when we want to invite a person to do something with us or when we make polite requests.

ませんか in its negative interrogative function

ませんか is also commonly used in its ordinary negative interrogative function.

For example in the sentence:

A verb often used in this form is ある to be or to exist in the negative ありません.

Examples of ませんか