# May I help you? / Do you need help?



## Lupen The Third

皆さんこんにちは。

問題があります。

本語で '「Do you need help? 」と「May I help you? 」' は何と言いますか？。
私のトライ：

 '「あのーすみません、助けてもよいですか？」'。
けっこうですか？

 '「あのーすみません、助けられますか」'はよいですか。

ありがとうございす。


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## Wishfull

Hi.
I would like to say;


Lupen The Third said:


> 皆さんこんにちは。
> 
> *質問*があります。*(ここでは「問題」は、とても不自然です。）*
> _*「問題」は目上の者が、目下の者を試すために出題する場合に使います。
> たとえば先生が、生徒に、　あるいは　大学が、　受験生に　出題する場合に使います。
> 今回は、あなたが目下となり、回答者が目上になるので、ここで「問題」という単語を使用すると、失礼になります。*_
> 別の言い方をするならば、問題を出すのは、その答えがすでにわかっている人です。
> 自分は正解を知っていて、他人を試す場合に「問題を出」します。
> その問題の答えを知らない人が、知っている人にたずねる場合には「質問」を使います。
> 
> 日本語で「Do you need help? 」と「May I help you? 」は何と言いますか。
> 私のトライ：
> 
> 「あのーすみません、助けてもよいですか。」*（←直訳としては正しいかもしれません。しかし不自然です。「お困りですか（おこまりですか）」「どうされましたか」「どうなさいましたか。何かお手伝いいたしましょうか。」が自然です。
> *
> けっこうですか？*（←これは不自然です。「よろしいでしょうか。」が自然です。）
> *
> 「あのーすみません、助けられますか」は*よろしいでしょうか*。
> *（これは文法的にも不自然で正しくないと思います。）*
> 
> ありがとうございす*（「よろしくお願いいたします」の方が自然です。)*



意思疎通の目的であれば、すでに、立派な日本語です。十分に意味はわかります。
より完璧な日本語になるように、御参照下さい。


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## Lupen The Third

Hello Wshfull san, thank you very much for the reply.

I have understood most part of your message but there are some things I can't get...in order to understand the whole post and to get completely the explanation about the the word "mondai", would you please tell me in English what did you mean saying >

|別の言い方をするならば、問題を出すのは、その答えがすでにわかっている人です。
自分は正解を知っていて、他人を試す場合に「問題を出」します。|

and this one :

|意思疎通の目的であれば、すでに、立派な日本語です。十分に意味はわかります。
より完璧な日本語になるように、御参照下さい|.

I'm really sorry but actually I am not so skillful to understand and follow completeley what you wrote.

Anyway, I'm soon noting down the ways to say "do you need help" and "may I help you" that you suggested me.

よろしくお願いします.


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## Wishfull

Lupen The Third said:


> |別の言い方をするならば、問題を出すのは、その答えがすでにわかっている人です。
> 自分は正解を知っていて、他人を試す場合に「問題を出」します。|
> 
> and this one :
> 
> |意思疎通の目的であれば、すでに、立派な日本語です。十分に意味はわかります。
> より完璧な日本語になるように、御参照下さい|.


In other words, someone who asks a question(mondai) is those who already knows the true answer.
(If he asks questions which he doesn't know the answer, say "shitsumon" and don't say "mondai" for the translation of "a question".)
He/she has already known the answer of the question, and he/she tries to evaluate others by means of asking the question.

For the purpose of international communication, your Japanese is already enough high level. I understand your Japanese very well.
Please consider my posts as the advice of more perfect, native's Japanese.


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## Lupen The Third

はい、分かりました。

Wishfullさん、とても親切です。
どうもありがとうございます。


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## wathavy

Lupen The Third said:


> 本語で '「Do you need help? 」と「May I help you? 」' は何と言いますか？。
> 私のトライ：
> 
> '「あのーすみません、助けてもよいですか？」'。
> けっこうですか？
> 
> '「あのーすみません、助けられますか」'はよいですか。


Just putting aside the details...
Do you need help?  ・・・・・　「あのぅ・・」followed by any gesture or pose and look at the other end whoever looks in trouble or lost.
「May I help you?」　in a shop spoken from the shop keeper or worker 「何にいたしましょうか？」

「あのう・・・」usually followed by 「どうか致しましたか？」(or どうかしましたか？) which means "Are you in trouble?".

Cheers!


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## lammn

wathavy said:


> 「あのう・・・」usually followed by 「どうか致しましたか？」(or どうかしましたか？) which means "Are you in trouble?".


 
Sorry I don't understand why the verb 致す is used if the subject is "you".
Isn't 致す a 謙譲語?
Why don't use 尊敬語(なさる or される) as in Wishfull's example?

Would anyone bother to elaborate, please?


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## Wishfull

Hello, lammn.

http://www.fujistaff.com/skill/manner/keigo/03.html
I think both you and wathavy are correct.
As you said, 致す　is a 謙譲語. So grammatically speaking, どうか致しましたか　should be wrong.
Japanese 敬語　system is very difficult for even natives. And どうか致しましたか　is one of the most popular wrong usages.　Not a few Japanese use that expression without no wonder.

To me, also, it is very natural and common expression.
I myself usually use the expression, too. I don't think of its grammar, usually. I think it is natural Japanese.
So you are correct in a sense, and wathavy is also correct, I think.

OK?


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## lammn

Okay, I got it now. Thanks for your reply! 
The link you provided is _very_ informative.


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## Lupen The Third

wathavy said:


> Just putting aside the details...
> Do you need help?  ・・・・・　「あのぅ・・」followed by any gesture or pose and look at the other end whoever looks in trouble or lost.
> 「May I help you?」　in a shop spoken from the shop keeper or worker 「何にいたしましょうか？」
> 
> 「あのう・・・」usually followed by 「どうか致しましたか？」(or どうかしましたか？) which means "Are you in trouble?".
> 
> Cheers!




大丈夫です!
Thank you very much!

Rupan sansei.


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## lrosa

Wishfull said:


> As you said, 致す　is a 謙譲語. So grammatically speaking, どうか致しましたか　should be wrong.
> Japanese 敬語　system is very difficult for even natives. And どうか致しましたか　is one of the most popular wrong usages.　Not a few Japanese use that expression without no wonder.
> 
> To me, also, it is very natural and common expression.
> I myself usually use the expression, too. I don't think of its grammar, usually. I think it is natural Japanese.
> So you are correct in a sense, and wathavy is also correct, I think.
> 
> OK?



I am wondering if it is possible that the subject of どうか致しましたか is in fact the speaker, if the question is actually asking if the *speaker* has done something to trouble the addressee? The reason I'm wondering this is that, even if native Japanese speakers do not think about the grammar of such idiomatic expressions as they speak, is it not true that they instinctively *feel* when it is appropriate to use 謙譲語 and when it's appropriate to use 尊敬語, to the extent that it feels wrong to mix up the two? When a Japanese speaker says "どうか致しましたか", I find it hard to imagine that they are thinking of the addressee as the subject of whatever (vague) action is taking place. It seems more likely to me that the subject of this sentence is either the speaker himself or some invisible force of fate. 

Is it also possible to say どうかなさいましたか, or something similar, in this situation?


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## Wishfull

Hello, lrosa.


lrosa said:


> I am wondering if it is possible that the subject of どうか致しましたか is in fact the speaker, if the question is actually asking if the *speaker* has done something to trouble the addressee? The reason I'm wondering this is that, even if native Japanese speakers do not think about the grammar of such idiomatic expressions as they speak, is it not true that they instinctively *feel* when it is appropriate to use 謙譲語 and when it's appropriate to use 尊敬語, to the extent that it feels wrong to mix up the two? When a Japanese speaker says "どうか致しましたか", I find it hard to imagine that they are thinking of the addressee as the subject of whatever (vague) action is taking place. It seems more likely to me that the subject of this sentence is either the speaker himself or some invisible force of fate.
> *I don't agree with you.*
> *The subjcet of どうか致しましたか　is definitely "you" of "May I help you?" Not "I".*
> 
> *You're apparently over-estimating the native-Japanese-speakers' ability to use correct 敬語.
> I think more than half of Japanese including myself can't speak perfect 敬語.
> Not a few Japanese can't even distinguish 尊敬語　and 謙譲語.*
> 
> *In our daily conversation, we don't even use the standard Japanese. We usually use dialects. And in some dialects, we only have 尊敬語-equivalent dialect. There is no 謙譲語ーequivalent dilect. We use the same polite form in both situation of 尊敬　and 謙譲.*
> 
> *おとうがしなさったのですじゃ　 My father did it.*
> 
> ・・・・・・・・・・・
> Is it also possible to say どうかなさいましたか, or something similar, in this situation?
> *Yes. どうかなさいましたか　is a perfect Japanese.*


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## lrosa

Thank you for your comments, Wishfull. I didn't realise I was over-estimating native speakers' ability. I just thought that, for example, for the sentence "I will contact you later", Japanese native speakers would know instinctively that こちらから連絡致します is right and that こちらから連絡なさいます sounds very wrong. That's why I found it hard to believe that a native speaker could say "どうか致しましたか" while thinking of the addressee as the subject...


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## lrosa

I would like to know how to say this phrase in a slightly less formal way. For example, if I am in someone else's house and they are washing the dishes or cooking or something, I might say in English: "Can I help?" 
I thought of a literal translation: "手伝ってあげられますか？" But I am not sure if this sounds natural... Are there other ways to say this?


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## Wishfull

lrosa said:


> I would like to know how to say this phrase in a slightly less formal way. For example, if I am in someone else's house and they are washing the dishes or cooking or something, I might say in English: "Can I help?"
> I thought of a literal translation: "手伝ってあげられますか？" But I am not sure if this sounds natural... Are there other ways to say this?


Hi.
In this  scenario, どうかなさいましたか is wrong, because the literal translation of どうかなさいましたか＝What happened to you? Is there anything wrong with you?

The translation of this example's "Can I help?" would be;
１．お手伝い致しましょうか。or 手をお貸し致しましょうか。
２．お手伝いしましょうか。　or 手をお貸ししましょうか。
３．手伝いましょうか。　or 手を貸しましょうか。（Shall I lend my hand?)

１ is the most polite, and 3 is the most casual (less formal).
2 is slightly less formal way, which might be your requested answer.


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## lrosa

Thank you very much, Wishfull. Exactly what I was looking for


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## Arashi

I hope I'm not being a bother by refreshing this old topic. 

While I was in Japan, I actually asked someone "助けたいですか" and she responded naturally as if what I said was normal (although maybe she was just used to foreigners not speaking correctly ). 

Is there anything wrong with that sentence or is there a more natural way of asking if someone needs help (such as 助けなくちゃいけません／いけない or other such method)? I know what I said translates more to "do you _want_ help" as opposed to "do you _need_ help," but I felt it was more natural in the situation.

Thanks and sorry again for reviving this topic!


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## lrosa

Arashi said:


> While I was in Japan, I actually asked someone "助けたいですか" and she responded naturally as if what I said was normal (although maybe she was just used to foreigners not speaking correctly ).
> 
> Is there anything wrong with that sentence or is there a more natural way of asking if someone needs help (such as 助けなくちゃいけません／いけない or other such method)? I know what I said translates more to "do you _want_ help" as opposed to "do you _need_ help," but I felt it was more natural in the situation.



Those sentences seem quite strange to me... "助けたいですか" means literally "Do you want *to *help?", and the others mean literally "I have to help".

I thought Wishfull's sentences were pretty good!


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## Wishfull

Arashi said:


> I hope I'm not being a bother by refreshing this old topic.
> 
> While I was in Japan, I actually asked someone "助けたいですか" and she responded naturally as if what I said was normal (although maybe she was just used to foreigners not speaking correctly ).
> 
> Is there anything wrong with that sentence or is there a more natural way of asking if someone needs help (such as 助けなくちゃいけません／いけない or other such method)? I know what I said translates more to "do you _want_ help" as opposed to "do you _need_ help," but I felt it was more natural in the situation.
> 
> Thanks and sorry again for reviving this topic!



I think the answer of your request might be;*助けが要りますか*？（たすけがいりますか）(The translation of "*Do you need help*?")(offering help).
And* 助けて欲しいですか*？（たすけてほしいですか）（The direct translation of "*Do you want help*?") (Offering help).

And 助けてくれますか？（助けてくれませんか is much better)(Can you help me?) （Requesting help).

They are natural Japanese sentences, and grammatically correct, although they are straightforward and abrupt.
Low educated adults or children might use those.

Or in urgent situation, we don't have time to use indirect, sluggish, decent words.
In such situation,
助けて！（requesting help)
今行く！（I'm coming.)
今助けるぞ！（offering help)
・・・・・・・・・・・

I'm afraid 助けたいですか　is wrong. The reason is what lrosa already said.
If you say to somebody "助けたいですか”, you're asking him if he has the desire to help someone or not.
・・・・・・・・・・・・

But　if I were the someone you met, I too could understand at once.
When I'm in danger or quite at a loss, and kindly looking person approaching, saying something including "助け”　or "help", I think he/she is offering some help.

When someone is approaching me, saying something including "助け”　or "help" (or even without a word) with a puzzled expression, I realize that he/she wants help.


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## Arashi

That makes perfect sense. Thanks, guys!


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