не могли бы вы

Polite Request with Не Могли Бы Вы

Level 3Sounds Like ne mogli by vy

Use не могли бы вы + infinitive to make polite requests. It is the standard way to ask for favors or information in formal and neutral settings.

How It Works

In Russian, framing a request with a negative particle (не) is a sign of high etiquette. It acknowledges that the person you are asking might not be able to help, which removes pressure from them.

Structure:

  • не: The 'softener' particle.
  • могли: The plural past tense of мочь (to be able). Even if you are speaking to one person, the plural form is used for the polite Вы.
  • бы: The conditional particle that turns 'could' into a hypothetical request.
  • вы: The formal/plural 'you'.
  • Infinitive: The action you want the person to perform.

While вы is the standard for Level 3, you can adapt this for friends by using ты: не мог бы ты (masc.) or не могла бы ты (fem.).

Examples (4)

  1. Не могли бы вы повторить ваш номер телефона?

    Could you please repeat your phone number?

    Word by Word: Not could would you repeat your number of-phone?

    A standard polite request using the perfective infinitive for a one-time action.

  2. Простите, не могли бы вы передать мне соль?

    Excuse me, would you be so kind as to pass me the salt?

    Word by Word: Forgive, not could would you pass to-me salt?

    Commonly used at the table or in public spaces to ask for small favors.

  3. Не могли бы вы прислать мне документы до завтра?

    Could you please send me the documents by tomorrow?

    Word by Word: Not could would you send to-me documents until tomorrow?

    Typical usage in a business or formal correspondence context.

  4. Не могли бы вы подождать одну минуту?

    Could you please wait one minute?

    Word by Word: Not could would you wait one minute?

    Uses the perfective verb to ask for a specific, brief duration of waiting.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting the particle 'бы'.

    Вы не могли повторить?
    Вы не могли бы повторить?

    Without 'бы', the sentence sounds like a statement about the past: 'You were not able to repeat.' The 'бы' is essential to make it a request.

  • Leaving out the second 'не' when asking someone to stop.

    Different MeaningНе могли бы вы курить?
    Не могли бы вы не курить?

    The sentence is correct, but it asks them to smoke. To ask them not to, you need a second 'не' before the infinitive. The first 'не' is part of the polite formula.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

не могли бы выLevel 3Polite Request with Не Могли Бы Вы

Learn This First

To use this polite request formula, you need to understand how the conditional mood is formed using the particle 'бы' and the past tense. Specifically, you need the plural past tense form 'могли' to agree with the polite 'вы', followed by the infinitive of the action you are asking someone to perform.

Words in This Pattern

мочь