You use this to suggest doing something together. It is like saying 'Let's...' in English.
Verb [stem] + ましょうPrimary
You use this to suggest doing something together. It is like saying 'Let's...' in English.
一緒に映画を見ましょう。
Let's watch a movie together.
雨が降ってきましたね。駅まで車で送りましょう。
It's started raining, hasn't it? I'll give you a ride to the station.
もう遅いから、ゲームをするのはやめましょう。
It's already late, so let's stop playing games.
次の会議で問題にならないように、この資料を準備しておきましょう。
Let's prepare these documents in advance so it doesn't become a problem at the next meeting.
先生は「では、始めましょう」と言って、授業を開始した。
The teacher said, "Alright, let's begin," and started the class.
This word is like a Swiss Army knife. It can mean 'Let's do this together.' But it can also mean 'I will do this for you.' You need to listen to the whole sentence to know which one it is.
This is different from 〜(よ)う. 〜ましょう is polite. You use it with people like your boss. 〜(よ)う is casual. You use it with friends and family. 〜ましょう means "Let's do something." 〜ましょうか asks "Shall we do something?"
Don't use this when you want to say "Let's not." For example, you cannot say "食べませんましょう." To say "Let's not eat," you need a different phrase.
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