How to ask for something, formally, but on the internet


I don't really have a great understanding of Japanese internet culture, but as
a Korean, I'm guessing it would be quite similar to ours in terms of
"formality," as both Korean and Japanese have "formal" version of the
language.

ex) する -> します / 하다 -> 합니다.

Suppose I want to ask for something, and I want it to go somewhere along the
line of

"I know this might bother you, so it's okay if you decline."

"難しい頼みであることをわかっています. 困難であれば拒絶しても大丈夫です."

and I would continue on with whatever I need him to do.

(Now that I write this, I don't even know if this is even grammatically
correct. lol.)

But the general question is: is it okay for me to presume that he will be
bothered, and also give him an option to decline beforehand?




(Even though I will be correcting many parts because that is how I make my
living, I could guarantee you that every native speaker will understand your
sentences as are. So, what is the point of making only this part of your whole
letter sound like it was written by a native speaker?)

> 「[難]{むずか}しい[頼]{たの}みであること **を** わかっています.
> [困難]{こんなん}であれば[拒絶]{きょぜつ}しても[大丈夫]{だいじょうぶ}です.」

Your grammar is actually fairly good. It would be much more natural if you
used 「は」 instead of 「を」 in the first sentence, though.

It is actually some of your word choices, rather than your grammar, that are
making your writing sound less than natural.

難しい: A little too conversational but not terribly "wrong", either.

頼み: Too informal. Not the best word for a formal request.

拒絶: Way too serious, negative, pessimistic, etc. Should be avoided.

しても: Too casual. Lacks respect. Use an honorific form instead. (Hiragana words
are often more important than many learners seem to realize. )

大丈夫: Too conversational. You are not chatting with a friend about SNSD.

Suggested sentences (without getting rediculously polite and formal):

> 「[勝手]{かって}な（or
> [大変]{たいへん}わがままな）お[願]{ねが}いであることは[重々承知]{じゅうじゅうしょうち}しております。ご[無理]{むり}であれば
> [遠慮]{えんりょ}なく[仰]{おっしゃ}っていただくようお[願]{ねが}いいたします。」
>
> 「勝手な（or 大変わがままな）お願いであることは重々承知しております。ご無理であれば
> 遠慮なくお[断]{ことわ}りいただいて[結構]{けっこう}です。」

A lighter and non-business-like version:

> 「勝手なお願いであることは分かっています。ご無理であれば遠慮なくおっしゃってください。」




(Even though I will be correcting many parts because that is how I make my
living, I could guarantee you that every native speaker will understand your
sentences as are. So, what is the point of making only this part of your whole
letter sound like it was written by a native speaker?)

> 「[難]{むずか}しい[頼]{たの}みであること **を** わかっています.
> [困難]{こんなん}であれば[拒絶]{きょぜつ}しても[大丈夫]{だいじょうぶ}です.」

Your grammar is actually fairly good. It would be much more natural if you
used 「は」 instead of 「を」 in the first sentence, though.

It is actually some of your word choices, rather than your grammar, that are
making your writing sound less than natural.

難しい: A little too conversational but not terribly "wrong", either.

頼み: Too informal. Not the best word for a formal request.

拒絶: Way too serious, negative, pessimistic, etc. Should be avoided.

しても: Too casual. Lacks respect. Use an honorific form instead. (Hiragana words
are often more important than many learners seem to realize. )

大丈夫: Too conversational. You are not chatting with a friend about SNSD.

Suggested sentences (without getting rediculously polite and formal):

> 「[勝手]{かって}な（or
> [大変]{たいへん}わがままな）お[願]{ねが}いであることは[重々承知]{じゅうじゅうしょうち}しております。ご[無理]{むり}であれば
> [遠慮]{えんりょ}なく[仰]{おっしゃ}っていただくようお[願]{ねが}いいたします。」
>
> 「勝手な（or 大変わがままな）お願いであることは重々承知しております。ご無理であれば
> 遠慮なくお[断]{ことわ}りいただいて[結構]{けっこう}です。」

A lighter and non-business-like version:

> 「勝手なお願いであることは分かっています。ご無理であれば遠慮なくおっしゃってください。」

