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Why is なさい used in ごめんなさい when it is usually used as a command form?

A.Ellett
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Reece
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    It's ごめんなさい (go-men + nasai), so you're missing an n. –  Jun 20 '17 at 15:11

2 Answers2

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免 is a somewhat old word meaning 'forgiveness'. There is a polite command form that goes お・ご～なさい, such as in おいでなさい or ご覧なさい. If you apply this to 免, you get ご免なさい, literally 'please forgive me'. This command form is also seen in おやすみなさい and おかえりなさい.

Angelos
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Nothing at all's answer is fine the basics, but it could be misleading depending on how much Japanese you are planning to learn.

ご/おV-stemなさい is a polite command conjugation of the verb なさる.

なさる is the keigo equivalent of する (meaning it is respectful). Conversely, いたす is the self-humbling form.

So by using なさる you express respect for the person you are talking to and by using ご/おV-stemください you express it politely.

免ずる means to forgive and this is then conjugated to mean "please forgive me" by using a polite and respectful command conjugation.

virmaior
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  • The following answer confirms it, なさる is the keigo verson of する, なさい is the imperative version of なさる, ご is a polite prefix, so ご免なさい is the polite imperative version of 免する: 免する -> (keigo) 免なさる -> (imperative) 免なさい -> (polite) ご免なさい. But what does ください have to do with it? – yk7 May 24 '23 at 04:21
  • Actually there may be be an alternative "route": 免する -> (imperative) 免しろ -> (keigo) 免なさい... – yk7 May 24 '23 at 04:55