Formal to Senior
Care · Daily · Support
ボタンを留めるお手伝いをしてもよろしいですか。 — May I help you with buttoning up? (Care · Daily · Support, Formal to Senior, JLPT N3)
You
ボタンを留めるお手伝いをしてもよろしいですか。
ぼたんをとめるおてつだいをしてもよろしいですか。
May I help you with buttoning up?
Romaji: Botan wo tomeru otetsudai wo shite mo yoroshii desu ka. / Reply Romaji: Onegai shimasu. Temoto ga mienikukute.
Reply
お願いします。手元が見えにくくて。
おねがいします。てもとがみえにくくて。
Yes please. I have trouble seeing my hands.
Gesture & etiquette
Always ask first — wait for verbal yes. Approach from the front, hands visible. Work at chest height with slow movements. Maintain warm eye contact, not staring at the body.
Buttoning, belts and zippers involve intimate physical contact — Japanese senior care emphasizes asking permission first ('〜してもよろしいですか'). Never assume consent based on capability. Approach from the front so they see your hands. Narrate each step softly ('次のボタンを留めますね').