Mashou - How to make invitations and say let's go in Japanese

Have you ever wondered how to say come or let's in Japanese? In this article, we will learn different ways to make invitations with Mashou and alternatives to the famous "Let's Go! and Come On!".

In Japanese, we use a verbal form to indicate that we want to perform an action with another person. The let's in Japanese is expressed with the endings mashou, masenka, you, and some others that we will analyze in depth in this article.

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How to say Come and Let's in Japanese?

One of the highlights of this article is the volitional form Mashou, but before we talk about it, let's present some words that can be literally translated as come or let's.

• Ikou [行こう]: Let's go;
• Ikouka [行こうか]: Shall we go?
• Kite [来て]: Come here;
• Nukeru [抜ける]: Slip out or leave;

It is worth noting that several Japanese verbs can encourage an action and make a natural invitation, even if the verb is not in the formal Mashou form that we will explore throughout this guide.

Also read: Verbal forms in Japanese

"Come On!" and "Let's Go!" derived from English

As is known, Japanese speakers also use expressions of English origin in their daily lives, often as casual slang. See below how these loanwords are adapted:

• Rettsugoo [レッツゴー]: Let's Go;
• Rettsuragoo [レッツラゴー]: Let's Go;
• Kamon [カモン]: Come on;
• Kamoon [カモーン]: Come on;

Using the Mashou form to say let's

Some beginner textbooks translate the verbal form Mashou [ましょう] simply as "let's". This is indeed one of the easiest and simplest ways to understand and translate verbs in this form. However, the idea that Mashou conveys is deeper.

In Japanese, this is called the volitional form and can indicate the desire to do something, an invitation, intention, choice, solution, and others. So, depending on the verb or form that appears in the sentence, its nuance or translation into English depends on the conversational context.

There is a small play on words. The volitional form is called Ikoukei [意向形], while let's go in Japanese is Ikou [行こう]. So literally the volitional form would be the form of let's? [形 = form];

To invite someone politely to perform an action, we simply replace the Masu [ます] ending with Mashou [ましょう]. If the verb is in plain form, we conjugate according to the verb group:

• Godan verbs (Group 1): Verbs ending in the u-row change their final vowel sound to the corresponding o-row sound and add う [u] (for example, iku becomes ikou);
• Ichidan verbs (Group 2): Verbs ending in いる [iru] or える [eru] replace the final る [ru] with よう [you] (for example, taberu becomes tabeyou);
• Irregular verbs (Group 3): Suru [する] becomes shiyou [しよう], and kuru [来る] becomes koyou [来よう];

Verb Group	Dictionary Form	Polite Volitional (~mashou)	Plain Volitional (Ikoukei)	Meaning
Godan	行く (Iku)	行きましょう (Ikimashou)	行こう (Ikou)	Let's go
Ichidan	食べる (Taberu)	食べましょう (Tabemashou)	食べよう (Tabeyou)	Let's eat
Godan	会う (Au)	会いましょう (Aimashou)	会おう (Aou)	Let's meet
Godan	話す (Hanasu)	話しましょう (Hanashimashou)	話そう (Hanasou)	Let's talk
Godan	待つ (Matsu)	待ちましょう (Machimashou)	待とう (Matou)	Let's wait
Ichidan	見る (Miru)	見ましょう (Mimashou)	見よう (Miyou)	Let's watch / see
Irregular	する (Suru)	しましょう (Shimashou)	しよう (Shiyou)	Let's do
Irregular	来る (Kuru)	来ましょう (Kimashou)	来よう (Koyou)	Let's come

Note that Suru [する] functions as the general verb to do something. In its polite volitional form, it becomes Shimashou [しましょう], while in informal speech it becomes Shiyou [しよう]. Both forms represent an active proposal to carry out an activity together.

There are other expressions like Deshou [でしょう] and Darou [だろう] that apparently resemble the volitional ending, but their meaning is not related to an invitation, but rather to uncertainty, conjecture, or probability.

Also read: The culture of uncertainty and perhaps in the Japanese language

Masenka: Making invitations using questions

When using Mashou [ましょう], you may be proposing or confirming an action with confidence. If you want to make it clear that it is an invitation that requires a response from the listener, you can turn this expression into a question "Shall we go?" using Mashouka [ましょうか]. This conveys the idea that you are offering to do something and need the listener's confirmation.

Another polite way to invite someone to do something is by using Masenka [ませんか]. When we conjugate verbs with Masenka, we are asking a courteous negative question, similar to "Won't you join me?" or "Would you like to?". This polite question structure gives the listener an easy way to decline comfortably without feeling pressured.

Other ways to express let's in Japanese

When you are undecided about a certain action, you can use the particle kana [かな] to show that you are pondering what to do, giving room for someone else to chime in with their opinion. Ikoukana [行こうかな] conveys the reflective thought of "Shall we go?" or "Maybe I should go".

Ikuzo [行くぞ] and Ikouze [行こうぜ] are informal, forceful ways to say let's in Japanese. These sentence-ending particles attached to the verb Iku [行く] are typically heard in colloquial male speech and anime dialogue, conveying energy and camaraderie.

In certain situations, saying Saa [さあ] can indicate the idea of let's, come with me, continue, hurry up, or here we go. Saa works as an encouraging conversational cue to initiate movement or draw attention to the next step.

Mairimashou [参りましょう]: A polite invitation derived from the humble verb Mairu [参る]. While Mairu humbly means "to go" or "to come", using Mairimashou politely invites others to proceed or move forward in formal company.

いらっしゃい: Irasshai is commonly known as a welcoming greeting, but in welcoming contexts it warmly invites the guest to step inside.

Also read: Irasshai, Youkoso and Okaeri: How to say welcome in Japanese

Choosing the Right Nuance in Daily Life

Selecting the best way to say let's in Japanese depends primarily on your closeness to the listener and how much room you want to give them to decline. Using mashou works well when everyone has already agreed on an idea and you are stepping up to lead the action, such as heading back to the office or starting a scheduled meeting.

When you want to show polite consideration or make a brand new suggestion to a colleague or acquaintance, masenka is the safer choice because phrasing the invitation as a question avoids putting pressure on the other person. In casual settings with close friends, classmates, or family, stick to the plain volitional form (ikoukei) or colloquial particles like ikouze and ikoukana to maintain a natural, relaxed rhythm.