GrammarN5〜ましょう

JLPT N5 · suggestion

〜ましょう~mashou

"let's (do) / shall we" — suggesting or inviting to do something together.

What it means

Replace ます with ましょう to suggest doing something — usually together with the listener: "let's do X." It's the polite volitional form (the casual version is 〜よう/おう).

How to make it

verb ます-stem + ましょう
ます+ ましょう = 行きましょう (let's go)
ます+ ましょう = 食べましょう (let's eat)
add か → 〜ましょうか "shall we? / shall I?" (softer, or offering help): 手伝てつだいましょうか (shall I help?)

Examples — real lines from the library

Every one of these is a real line from a real episode in our podcast transcripts — pulled by the finder and verified against the live library. Tap "hear it →" to open the app at that exact second.

Let's do our best together.
Let's meet again next time.
Let's doze off.

Watch out

ましょう vs ましょうか. ましょう is assertive ("let's!"); ましょうか is softer — checks the listener or offers help ("shall we? / shall I?").
It's the polite form. Casual/plain volitional is 〜よう/おう: こう (let's go, casual).
Softer invite → 〜ませんか ("won't you…?"). ませんか is gentler than 行きましょう.

Study 〜ましょう in real Japanese

You can drill this pattern today, the way Wakatta works right now — with real audio, not textbook sentences.

🎧 Listen & tap

Open a real podcast or YouTube video and follow the tappable transcript. Tap any word for its reading + meaning, without leaving the audio.

🔖 Save & review

Save the words you didn't know. They come back later in spaced-repetition review, with the original sentence for context — so they actually stick.

Stuck on a whole sentence? The AI sensei breaks it down for you — right there in the transcript.

Hear 〜ましょう in real Japanese
Free · tap any word for its reading & meaning
Open in Wakatta
Free on Wakatta — learn Japanese by listening. Every example above is a real line from a Japanese podcast, with a timestamp so you can hear it.