お客様にお茶を出して。

Sentence Discussions Japanese
#1
English Translation

Could I ask you to get a cup of tea for our guest?

This feels more like an order than a gentle request in Japanese.

I think “Serve some tea to our esteemed guest” would be more accurate.

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#2

@mike-lima
Your understanding is correct.

The hierarchy is

Guest/customer >> The speaker (maybe boss or master) >>>> The listener (subordinate or servant).

The speaker shows respect for the guest/customer by politely saying お客様.

But 出して is a direct order/command given to the listener. There is no nuance of “could I ask you to do” or “please”.

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