How to use ~てちょうだい (te choudai): A Streetwise JLPT N2 Grammar Guide

tape mouth

かれくちをテープでふさいで頂戴ちょうだい
Tape that guy’s mouth shut for me.

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Read the explanation below to understand the nuance of how this grammar structure is used.

The Lowdown on the Nuance

In the streets of Tokyo, ~て頂戴 (te choudai) is basically the casual, slightly “bossy” cousin of ~te kudasai. It’s a way to ask someone to do something, but it carries a specific vibe. Historically, it’s associated with feminine speech or mothers telling their kids what to do.

Think of it like Alonzo Harris in Training Day. He doesn’t always have to yell; sometimes he just tells you to do something with that smooth, terrifying confidence. When you use ~て頂戴, you’re making a request, but you’re expecting it to get done. It’s “polite” on the surface, but underneath, there’s no room for “no.”

When to Use This Hustle

You use this when you’re talking to someone “below” you in the hierarchy, or when you’re being cheeky with a homie. If you’re the Don of the family and you want your nephew to go grab some cannoli (or some karaage), you hit him with the ~て頂戴. It’s perfect for situations where you want to sound sophisticated but still let ’em know who’s holding the keys to the kingdom.

The Metaphor

Using ~て頂戴 is like wearing a velvet glove over a brass knuckle. The “velvet” is the polite-sounding request, making it seem like you’re being nice. But the “brass knuckle” is the underlying authority that says, “If this doesn’t happen, we’re gonna have a problem.” It’s the grammar equivalent of a mob boss saying, “Do me a favor,” while his bodyguards are standing right behind him.


Grammar Conjugation Guide.

Check the chart below to see how we flip the script on these verbs.

Verb TypeDictionary FormTe-form + 頂戴English Translation
Group 1いて頂戴ちょうだいWrite it down for me.
Group 2べるべて頂戴ちょうだいEat it up.
Irregularする して頂戴ちょうだいDo it for me.
Irregular頂戴ちょうだいCome over here.

To get this right, you just take the Te-form of any verb and slap 頂戴 (choudai) on the end. If you want to be even more casual, you can drop the “頂” and just say “ちょうだい” in hiragana. It’s like shortening “Information” to “the 411.” It makes the request feel smoother and less like a formal contract.


Example sentences

Read and master the example sentences below.

最後さいごのこしたことをって頂戴ちょうだい
Say your last words for me.

かく場所ばしょおしえて頂戴ちょうだい
Tell me where the stash is hidden.

がついたシャツをあらって頂戴ちょうだい
Wash this blood-stained shirt for me.

監視かんしカメラをこわして頂戴ちょうだい
Smash the security cameras for me.

毒味どくみをして頂戴ちょうだい、この寿司すしあやしいから。
Taste-test this for poison, this sushi looks sus.

わたしわりに刑務所けいむしょって頂戴ちょうだい
Go to prison in my place, would ya?

そのじゅうをしまって頂戴ちょうだいあぶないから。
Put that piece away, it’s dangerous.

この手紙てがみ組長くみちょうとどけて頂戴ちょうだい
Deliver this letter to the big boss.

わたしくつみがいて頂戴ちょうだい
Shine my shoes for me.

証拠しょうこ全部ぜんぶやして頂戴ちょうだい
Burn all the evidence for me.


Stay dangerous.

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