# Let me



## adexx

Hey guys,
How would you say "Let me (do it for you)" formally in Japanese?
"やらせて” means "let me", but I think やる is informal, so I wouldn't want to use it with someone older.
So, how would you say it to your teacher/boss/parents... (when you see them do something and you offer to do it for them. And just "let me", not "let me help you")?


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## lammn

I agree with you that it is no good (if not offensive) to use やらせて with someone ranking higher than you.



adexx said:


> So, how would you say it to your teacher/boss/parents... (when you see them do something and you offer to do it for them. And just "let me", not "let me help you")?


 
(私に)任せてください。

Note: 任せて derives from the verb 任せる(まかせる), which means "entrust a person with a matter".
任せてください means "leave it to me, I will take care of it".

Depending on the _specific_ situation, however, you may have to use other wordings.
So it will be helpful if you can provide us with the details of what you are offering to help your teacher/boss/parents.


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## adexx

Thanks.
I was just saying "Let me" in general, but some contexts could be:
- Upon seeing your parent taking out the garbage
- Seeing your boss photocopying a lot of documents
Some things like that.


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## Noamoxkaltontli

Hi adexx,

When you see your boss or any other superior, like your teacher, etc. In need of help, the construction is:
o ~ shimashou ka?
For example if your teacher is holding something heavy,
o mochi shimashou ka?
"May I hold that?"

Sorry for the short answer.


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## lammn

adexx said:


> I was just saying "Let me" in general


 
I'm afraid that there is no one single Japanese phrase that can cover the whole idea of "let me" in English.



adexx said:


> - Upon seeing your parent taking out the garbage


 
Speak to your parent in English since you are native English-speaker. 



adexx said:


> Seeing your boss photocopying a lot of documents


 


Noamoxkaltontli said:


> When you see your boss or any other superior, like your teacher, etc. In need of help, the construction is:
> o ~ shimashou ka?


 
The suggestion given by Noa works well in most cases.

In _this _particualr example, however, the verb for "photocopy" is コピーする.
As a general rule, the honorific お should not be added before a loan word, or コピー in this case.
Also, the construction お~しましょうか, which derives from お~する, is a honorific speech. It works well with verbs like 持つ, which becomes お持ちしましょうか as suggested by Noa.
But for the verb コピーする, since it already has する in it, changing it to おコピーしましょうか will not turn it into honorific speech, not to mention it is grammatically wrong.

So I really have no idea how to say "let me photocopying for you" to your senior.
Does anyone know how to say it?


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## adexx

lammn said:


> Speak to your parent in English since you are native English-speaker.


Oh come one. I was just giving an example, not necessarily speaking to my parent.

Anyway, what about やらせてください / させてください? Doesn't it mean "Let me" in most cases?


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## lammn

adexx said:


> Anyway, what about やらせてください / させてください? Doesn't it mean "Let me" in most cases?


 
Yeah, やらせてください / させてください mean "let me ~" in most cases, but *not* the other way round. That is to say, "let me" does not necessarily translate to やらせてください / させてください in Japanese.

Hey, maybe you can say 私にコピーさせていただけませんか in your example 2 (i.e. Let me photocopy for you" to your senior).


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## Noamoxkaltontli

> Oh come one. I was just giving an example, not necessarily speaking to my parent.


Heheh, nevertheless Japanese sentences do change quite a bit depending on who you are addressing.

コピーしましょうか Is quite OK.
自分の仕事は？


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## Flaminius

lammn said:


> adexx said:
> 
> 
> 
> Anyway, what about やらせてください / させてください? Doesn't it mean "Let me" in most cases?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah, やらせてください / させてください mean "let me ~" in most cases, but *not* the other way round. That is to say, "let me" does not necessarily translate to やらせてください / させてください in Japanese.
> 
> Hey, maybe you can say 私にコピーさせていただけませんか in your example 2 (i.e. Let me photocopy for you" to your senior).
Click to expand...

No, actually やらせてください / させてください is used when the performing the action is (or portends) a benefit for the speaker.  So, neither is "let me" strictly grammar-wise.  I don't think, for instance, copying 50 or so set of a quarterly report gives one a lot of pleasure.  

In more natural wording:
コピーしておきましょうか。
コピーしておきますよ。


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## lammn

Flaminius said:


> No, actually やらせてください / させてください is used when the performing the action is (or portends) a benefit for the speaker.


 
Got it, thanks!

だから、私にコピーさせていただけませんかってなんか*変*な感じがします．．．


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## adexx

So, in the "gomi" example, should I say something like: "(ゴミ)捨てましょうか" / "捨てあげましょうか"?
And to add a little insistence, could I say 捨てあげます? Is it polite enough?


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## pdmx

adexx said:


> 捨てあげましょうか
> 捨てあげます


 
I thought you were not supposed to use ～てあげる when addressing higher-ranking persons?

doesn't it sound condescending?


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## Noamoxkaltontli

pdmx said:


> I thought you were not supposed to use ~てあげる when addressing higher-ranking persons?
> 
> doesn't it sound condescending?



Yes, ~さしあげます is called for in here... I am not sure if I could pull this off without comming off as too forceful,  maybe with the correct body language.
But Flam's 捨てて*おきましょうか* would also fit quite nicely.


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## Flaminius

Hello Noa,

But ~さしあげます contains あげる too!  It has a condescending courteous air.  

The auxiliary uses of おく can warrant a whole thread but I think I used it in 捨てておきましょうか to show my care for the convenience of the addressed person.


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## Noamoxkaltontli

> Hello Noa,
> 
> But ~さしあげます contains あげる too! It has a condescending courteous air.



Noam is also OK you know, it makes me feel I am Chomski 
Hahah, if it is still condescending, then nevermind. It was already doubting it's appropiateness.


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