Question
I’m traveling around Kyoto and stopped a station staff member to ask directions to a small ryokan. He said the address out loud, but I couldn’t catch all of it. I want to ask him to write it down on a piece of paper so I can show it to a taxi driver later. How do I say “Could you write it down for me?” in Japanese?
Answer by Professional Japanese Teacher
書（か）いてください。
Kaite kudasai.
Could you write it down for me?
This is the phrase I tell every traveler to memorize before they head out with a paper map. Kaite comes from 書（か）く kaku, meaning “to write,” and adding kudasai turns it into a polite request. In context — pointing at your notebook or holding out a pen — it naturally means “could you write it down for me?”
If you want a softer phrasing, you can use:
書いてもらえますか。
Kaite moraemasuka.
Could you write it for me?
To ask for the address specifically, swap in 住所（じゅうしょ）jūsho (address):
住所を書いてください。
Jūsho o kaite kudasai.
Could you write down the address?
One small tip: hand over your pen and notebook when you ask. Staff often hesitate to write on a stranger’s belongings, so offering the tools makes them say yes right away.
