Japanese for Beginners: Offering Help and Responding to Offers
Learn to say 'Need a hand?' and 'I can help with that' in Japanese, and how to accept or decline help politely.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
Offering help is a core social skill in Japanese. This lesson teaches beginner-friendly phrases to offer assistance and respond when someone offers you help. You will learn the difference between casual and polite forms, and how to avoid sounding pushy. We focus on practical, everyday situations like carrying bags, studying, or cooking. By the end, you can confidently say 'Need a hand?' and reply appropriately.
By the end, you can…
- offer help using 'tetsudaimashou ka' and 'tetsudatte ageru'.
- accept or decline an offer politely.
- distinguish between offering help and asking for a favor.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
手伝いましょうか。
Shall I help you? / Need a hand?
tetsudaimashō ka
Polite offer; use with acquaintances, coworkers, or strangers.
手伝ってあげる。
I'll help you.
tetsudatte ageru
Casual offer to a close friend or family member; can sound patronizing if used with superiors.
何か手伝おうか。
Want me to help with something?
nanika tetsudaō ka
Casual and friendly; used among friends.
お手伝いしましょうか。
May I help you?
otetsudai shimashō ka
Very polite; often used in service settings or with elders.
ありがとう、お願いします。
Thank you, please do.
arigatō, onegaishimasu
Polite acceptance of an offer.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To offer help, use the verb 手伝う (tetsudau, 'to help'). The polite offer is 手伝いましょうか (tetsudaimashō ka). The casual offer is 手伝ってあげる (tetsudatte ageru). For a more general offer, say 何か手伝おうか (nanika tetsudaō ka). To accept, say お願いします (onegaishimasu). To decline, say 大丈夫です (daijōbu desu).
When to use it
Use polite forms with people you don't know well, older people, or in formal situations. Use casual forms with close friends and family. For example, if a coworker looks busy, say 手伝いましょうか。If a friend is moving, say 手伝ってあげる。Avoid using casual forms with superiors, as it can seem rude. When someone offers help, a simple ありがとう (arigatō) is fine among friends, but ありがとうございます (arigatō gozaimasu) is safer in polite contexts.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
重そうですね。手伝いましょうか。
That looks heavy. Shall I help you?omosō desu ne. tetsudaimashō ka.ありがとうございます。お願いします。
Thank you. Please do.arigatō gozaimasu. onegaishimasu.いいえ、大丈夫です。でも、ありがとう。
No, it's okay. But thanks.iie, daijōbu desu. demo, arigatō.そうですか。何かあったら言ってください。
I see. If anything comes up, please tell me.sō desu ka. nanika attara itte kudasai.A little context goes a long way
In Japanese culture, offering help is often indirect to avoid imposing. A polite offer like 手伝いましょうか gives the other person freedom to decline. Directly saying 手伝ってあげる can sound condescending if used with someone of higher status. When declining, soften with 大丈夫です and add ありがとう to show appreciation.
One thing to watch for
Using 手伝ってあげる with a boss or teacher.
Try this instead: Use 手伝いましょうか instead. For example, say 手伝いましょうか。 to a boss. The casual form is only for close friends or family.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you politely offer help to a coworker?
Show a sample answer
手伝いましょうか。
This is the polite offer form. You could also say お手伝いしましょうか。 for extra politeness.
2What do you say to accept an offer politely?
Show a sample answer
ありがとうございます。お願いします。
This combines thanks and acceptance. Among friends, ありがとう、お願いします is fine.
3How do you decline an offer politely?
Show a sample answer
大丈夫です。ありがとうございます。
This softens the refusal. You can also say いいえ、結構です。 but it may sound more formal.
Use 手伝いましょうか for polite offers and 手伝ってあげる for casual ones. Accept with お願いします, decline with 大丈夫です plus thanks.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s Japanese into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr