Polite language
Respectful and humble forms.
Beyond です and ます, Japanese has special language for showing respect, called keigo. You'll hear it all the time from shop staff, in announcements and at work. At first, aim to understand it and use a few set phrases.
- 丁寧語 teineigo, polite language: です and ます.
- 尊敬語 sonkeigo, respectful language: raises the actions of the person you're speaking to or about.
- 謙譲語 kenjōgo, humble language: lowers your own actions, and your group's, toward that person.
Special verbs
The most common verbs have their own respectful and humble forms.
| Verb | Respectful | Humble |
|---|---|---|
| いる (be) | いらっしゃる | おる |
| 行く (go), 来る (come) | いらっしゃる | まいる |
| 言う (say) | おっしゃる | 申す |
| する (do) | なさる | いたす |
| 食べる, 飲む (eat, drink) | 召し上がる | いただく |
| 見る (see) | ご覧になる | 拝見する |
| 知っている (know) | ご存じだ | 存じている |
| 会う (meet) | お会いになる | お目にかかる |
| 聞く (ask, hear) | お聞きになる | 伺う |
いらっしゃる, おっしゃる, なさる and くださる have an irregular ます form: いらっしゃいます, おっしゃいます, なさいます, くださいます. 伺う is also the humble word for visiting. ございます is a very polite あります, and でございます a very polite です.
Regular patterns
Other verbs follow a pattern, where 〜 is the verb's stem, or the noun of a する verb:
| Pattern | Kind | Example |
|---|---|---|
| お〜になる | Respectful | 待つ → お待ちになる |
| ご〜になる | Respectful, with する nouns | 利用する → ご利用になる |
| お〜する | Humble | 持つ → お持ちする |
| ご〜する | Humble, with する nouns | 案内する → ご案内する |
| お〜ください | Polite request | 待つ → お待ちください |
Verbs with a special form use it instead: ご覧になる, not お見になる. The passive form is also a lighter respectful form: 先生が書かれた本 "the book the teacher wrote".
お and ご
お and ご before a noun make it polite, often meaning "your": お名前 onamae "your name", ご家族 gokazoku "your family". Generally お goes with native Japanese words and ご with words from Chinese, with exceptions such as お電話 and お時間. Some have become ordinary words: お茶 ocha "tea", ご飯 gohan "rice, meal".
What you'll hear
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| いらっしゃいませ。 | Welcome (in shops and restaurants). |
| 少々お待ちください。 | Please wait a moment. |
| かしこまりました。 | Certainly. |
| 申し訳ございません。 | I'm very sorry. |
| お世話になっております。 | Thank you for your support (a business greeting). |
- Sensei wa irasshaimasu ka.Is the teacher in?
- Nani o meshiagarimasu ka.What would you like to eat?
- Tanaka to mōshimasu.My name is Tanaka.
- Ashita, sochira ni ukagaimasu.I'll come to see you tomorrow.
- Shiryō o haiken shimashita.I've looked at the documents.
Cards from this guide
10 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Longer sentences cards.
What does 尊敬語 (sonkeigo, respectful language) do?
It raises the actions of the person you're speaking to or about.
What does 謙譲語 (kenjōgo, humble language) do?
It lowers your own actions, and your group's, toward the other person.
What's the respectful verb for いる (be), 行く (go) and 来る (come)?
いらっしゃる
What's the humble form of 言う (say), used to give your own name?
申す: 田中と申します.
What's the respectful verb for 食べる (eat) and 飲む (drink)?
召し上がる
How do you make the respectful form of a verb with no special form, like 帰る (go home)?
お + stem + になる: お帰りになる.
How do you make the humble form of a verb with no special form, like 持つ (carry)?
お + stem + する: お持ちする.
What's the keigo request, politer than て + ください, made from a verb like 待つ (wait)?
お + stem + ください: お待ちください.
What do お and ご do before a noun, as in ご家族?
They make it polite, often meaning 'your': ご家族 (your family).
How do you talk about your own boss to someone outside your company?
With humble forms, and without さん.