Should you go? / Would you go?

[ChrisNico]

I have questions on expressing "should" and "would" in Japanese. They are a bit difficult for me because I think the ideas expressed slightly differently in English and Japanese.

Here are my best guesses for "Should you go?":

行くべきですか？
行く必要がありますか？
行っての方がいいですか？

And "Would you go?"

行ってくれますか？
行ってもいいですか？
行くでしょうか？

I also have questions about how to describe "the act of going" in Japanese. Would it be 「行っている事」？「行く事」？

Please let me know:

1) if these guesses are correct or not?
2) if they sound natural or not?
3) what sort of situation they are best for? For example, I say to my friend, "Would you pass me the salt?" and "Would you like to go to the park?" Are these the same in Japanese, or are they different?
4) what are the most commonly used ways to express these ideas in Japanese?

Thank you very much, I really appreciate your time!

 

[mdchachi]

(1) 行くべきですか？
(2) 行く必要がありますか？
(3) 行ったの方がいいですか？

Without context if I heard this, I'd think you were talking about yourself. But if it was clear from prior conversation we were talking about "you" I guess all would be acceptable. #3, though, sounds unnatural to me with "you" as the subject.
Another common pattern is 〜ならなければならない e.g.
(4) 行かなければならないですか?
and you can also say (5) 行かないとだめですか？ For the general case, I guess I'd probably go with #2.

行ってくれますか？
This means "Will you go for me?"
行ってもいいですか？
This means "May I go?"
行くでしょうか？
This means something like "You're going, aren't you?"

3) what sort of situation they are best for? For example, I say to my friend, "Would you pass me the salt?" and "Would you like to go to the park?" Are these the same in Japanese, or are they different?

You can use some of the same patterns for both. 塩をとってくらませんか？ 一緒に公園に行ってくれませんか？ is a good pattern because it works in many situations.

Some only work for one or the other. Such as 塩を頂戴 and 塩をください。公園に行くのはいかがだですか？

There's really no direct equivalent for "would" in some cases. Like in the "would you pass me the salt?" example. Really you're trying to say "Please pass me the salt."

 

[ChrisNico]

Thank you very much, your answers are excellent!

 

[Toritoribe]

Sorry for nitpicking
行く方/行った方がいいですか？ (の is unnecessary.)
塩をとってくれませんか？
公園に行くのはいかがですか？ (だ is unnecessary.)

The subject of 行く can be the addressee in 行く方がいいですか？, but it's more likely for asking the addressee's will/wish "Do you prefer to go?".
Note that all those expressions, especially mdchachi-san's, have a nuance of "I don't think you should go".


行くでしょうか？ is hardly used for second person. 行きますか is used instead.

 

[ChrisNico]

Thank you very much!

I (try to) ask very detailed questions because knowing how to say something in English and in Japanese are not at all the same thing. The answers I receive on here teach me much more than I can learn in books because of all the little nuances and opinions.

Every time you nitpick I learn more than I would have otherwise! I really appreciate it,

 

[mdchachi]

Sorry for nitpicking

Not at all. All of those were pure typos. My bad.