ankooru wo tanomou.

アンコール is a noun. It means encore and is written in katakana because it is a loanword.

In Japanese, katakana is often used for:

• foreign loanwords
• sound effects
• emphasis
• some names and technical terms

So アンコール is just the Japanese form of the borrowed word encore.

を is the object marker.

It marks アンコール as the thing being requested.

So the structure is:

• アンコール = encore
• を = marks it as the object
• 頼もう = let’s request / let’s ask for

A very literal breakdown would be:

• encore + object marker + let’s request

頼もう is the volitional form of 頼む.

• dictionary form: 頼む
• volitional form: 頼もう

The volitional form is often used to mean:

• let’s ...
• I’ll ... / I shall ...

So 頼もう can mean:

• Let’s ask/request
• I’ll ask/request

The exact meaning depends on context.

This verb is a godan verb.

For godan verbs ending in -u, the volitional form changes the final u sound to the o row and adds う.

So:

• 頼む → 頼も → 頼もう

More specifically:

• む changes to も
• then add う

That gives 頼もう.

It can mean either one.

The plain volitional form in Japanese is often ambiguous unless the context makes it clear.

So 頼もう could be:

• Let’s ask for an encore
• I’ll ask for an encore

In many learning examples like this, it is often understood as Let’s ask for an encore, especially if the speaker is talking to someone else.

If the speaker is talking more to themself, it can sound like:

• Alright, I’ll ask for an encore

頼もう is the plain volitional form, while 頼みましょう is the polite volitional form.

Compare:

• 頼もう = let’s ask / I’ll ask
• 頼みましょう = let’s ask

頼もう sounds more casual, plain, or direct. 頼みましょう sounds more polite and is common in careful or formal speech.

So the sentence as written has a casual feel.

No. 頼む has several related meanings depending on context.

Common meanings include:

• to ask
• to request
• to order
• to entrust
• to rely on

In アンコールを頼もう, it means something like:

• to request
• to ask for
• possibly to order, depending on the situation

Here it does not mean to rely on.

Yes. Japanese often leaves the subject unstated when it is obvious from context.

So this sentence does not explicitly say:

• we
• I
• you

Depending on context, the implied subject could be:

• Let’s ask for an encore → implied we
• I’ll ask for an encore → implied I

This is very normal in Japanese.

Japanese often expresses ideas with different grammar than English.

In English, we say:

• ask for an encore

In Japanese, the idea is expressed as:

• encore + object marker + request

So アンコールを頼む literally treats encore as the object of request.

Japanese does not need a separate word matching English for here.

Yes, but it depends on the situation.

It sounds natural in a casual context where someone says something like:

• Let’s ask for an encore
• Let’s order another round
• Let’s request it again

Because アンコール can be used in different settings, the exact nuance depends on context:

• at a concert: Let’s call for an encore
• in a bar or karaoke setting: possibly Let’s ask for another round / another performance

So the grammar is natural, but the exact interpretation comes from the situation.

Normally, Japanese is written without spaces:

• アンコールを頼もう。

Spaces are sometimes added in textbooks or beginner materials to make it easier to read.

So the natural standard written form is:

• アンコールを頼もう。

The spaces do not change the meaning.

The 。 is just the Japanese period.

It marks the end of the sentence.

The nuance comes more from 頼もう, which is plain and volitional. Because of that, the whole sentence feels:

• casual
• decisive
• direct

So the tone is something like:

• Let’s do it. Let’s ask for an encore.

Normally, no.

With 頼む, the thing being requested is usually marked by を, because it is the direct object.

So:

• アンコールを頼もう = natural

Using が here would generally sound wrong in standard Japanese for this meaning.

So for learners, the safe pattern is:

• Noun + を + 頼む

when the noun is the thing being requested.