をください

をください asks for a thing: "please give me ~", "~, please". The thing you want goes in front of it, marked by を. ください is the request form of くださる, the polite verb for someone giving something to you.

Asking for a number of things

The number and its counter come after を, straight before ください. English puts the number in front of the noun; in a shop or a restaurant, Japanese puts it here.

Things, not actions

をください asks for an object. To ask someone to do something, put the verb in the て-form and add ください (〜～てください).

• × 待つをください → 待ってください

おねがいしますお願いします can take the place of ください and sounds a little softer. At a counter or a restaurant table it is the more usual choice.