ましょう details
write + let's do
kaki mashou
let's do
meaning: let's write
昼ごはんは駅前の店で食べましょう。
hirugohan wa ekimae no mise de tabe mashou.
For lunch, let's eat at the place by the station. neutral
重そうですね。半分持ちましょう。
omosou desu ne. hanbun mochimashou.
That looks heavy — I'll carry half. neutral
- contraction
Examples
let's — proposing a joint action the speaker treats as agreed
昼ごはんは駅前の店で食べましょう。
hirugohan wa ekimae no mise de tabemashou.
For lunch, let's eat at the place by the station. neutral
さ、そろそろ行きましょ。
sa, sorosoro ikimasho.
Right, let's get going. casual
では、次の議題に移りましょう。
dewa, tsugi no gidai ni utsurimashou.
Well then, let us move on to the next item. formal
I'll — volunteering the speaker's own action
重そうですね。半分持ちましょう。
omosou desu ne. hanbun mochimashou.
That looks heavy — I'll carry half. neutral
Formation
{V-masu-stem}ましょうattaches to ます-stem
Variant notes
- ましょ — clipped final long vowel in relaxed speech — さ、帰[かえ]りましょ。
Notes
Related patterns
Similar
ましょう announces joint action as already settled and invites the listener aboard; ませんか genuinely asks and leaves a clean way to decline — which is why invitations aimed upward prefer it.
Both voice first-person volition, but 手伝いましょう performs the decision toward the listener on the spot (an offer or "let's"), while 手伝おうと思う reports a private, still-revisable intention and puts no one on the spot.
Lookalikes
One か apart — ましょう declares "let's", ましょうか opens a question ("shall I?" / "shall we?"); dropping the か by accident turns an offer of help into a decision already made.