てくれませんか details
write + (and…) + won't you do ?
kaite kuremasen ka
won't you do (for me)?
meaning: could you write
悪いけど、ちょっと手伝ってくれない？
warui kedo, chotto tetsudatte kurenai?
Sorry, but could you give me a hand for a sec? casual
すみません、シャッターを押してくれませんか。
sumimasen, shattaa o oshite kuremasen ka.
Excuse me, could you press the shutter for us? neutral
- colloquial
- colloquial
Examples
won't you do (for me)? — everyday polite request between equals
悪いけど、ちょっと手伝ってくれない？
warui kedo, chotto tetsudatte kurenai?
Sorry, but could you give me a hand for a sec? casual
すみません、シャッターを押してくれませんか。
sumimasen, shattaa o oshitekuremasenka.
Excuse me, could you press the shutter for us? neutral
この機械の使い方を教えてくれませんか。
kono kikai no tsukaikata o oshiete kuremasen ka.
Would you show me how to use this machine? neutral
Formation
{V-te}くれませんかattaches to て-form
Variant notes
- てくれない？ — casual negative question — 手伝[てつだ]ってくれない？
- てもらえない？ — casual receive-side twin — a shade softer than てくれない？
Notes
Related patterns
Similar
Same negative-question request, different receive-verb deference — いただけませんか humbles the speaker and owns business speech and email; くれませんか is the spoken default among equals and reads presumptuous aimed upward.
Lookalikes
Shared てくれ core split by sentence type — てくれませんか (casual てくれない？) requests a future favor, while flat てくれない states someone WON'T do it; in speech only か and rising intonation separate plea from complaint.
The same 〜ませんか negative-question frame at speed — but 行きませんか invites the listener into joint action, while てくれませんか's てくれ routes the benefit to the speaker, making 手伝ってくれませんか a favor request, not an invitation.