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In English when somebody offers you something or invites you somewhere you can just say "yes" or you can answer more enthusiastically in a pretty standard colloquial manner like this:

  • Would you like to go out for dinner on Saturday night?
    I'd love to!
  • Do you want a bowl of this soup that I just cooked?
    I'd love to!

I've asked a local but he doesn't really understand the nuance I'm trying to capture and offers me phrases that are more like the literal translation of "I want to eat too".

Is there something colloquial and enthusiastic that's better than what my local friend has suggested?

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2 Answers 2

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The word that we often use to express enthusiasm is 「[是非]{ぜひ}」= "by all means".

「是非[行]{い}きます!」,「是非行きたいです!」,「是非行きましょう!」, 「是非行こう!」, etc.

You can add 「あ」 or 「あっ」 in front of 「是非」, too.

To express even more enthusiasm, you could use 「[絶対]{ぜったい}」 or 「[必]{かなら}ず」 in place of 「是非」.

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  • Oh yes "by all means" is the formal equivalent to the colloquial "I'd love to". It didn't spring to mind because I personally never use it. English Wiktionary lists どうしても and きっと for "by all means". Apr 2, 2014 at 14:34
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Would you like to go out for dinner on Saturday night? I'd love to.

ええ。そうしましょう。

Do you want a bowl of this soup that I just cooked? I'd love to.

はい。お願いします。

Although they look like offers, but they are the “standard” “textbook-style” ways to accept offers. I see people use the adverb ぜひ to emphasize they are “glad” to accept.

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  • I think it's the “standard” way to accept offers. To anyone who down-voted, I would appreciate if you let me know where I'm wrong.
    – Yang Muye
    Apr 2, 2014 at 13:41
  • Ah yes I forget お願いします is not just for making requests. Apr 2, 2014 at 14:37

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