Japanese grammar · Intermediate (B1)
Keigo: honorific and humble language
The three kinds of keigo (尊敬語, 謙譲語, 丁寧語), the special verbs, お～になる and お～する, the inside/outside rule and key business phrases.
Three kinds of respectful language
(keigo), respectful language, is how Japanese shows respect to customers, superiors, strangers and older people. It has three parts. (teineigo), polite language, is the です／ます style you already know, plus a few extra-polite words like (gozaimasu).
(sonkeigo), honorific language, raises the other person: use it for what they do. (kenjōgo), humble language, lowers yourself: use it for what you (or your side) do for or towards them.
The golden rule: never use honorific forms about yourself, and never humble forms about the person you respect. (shachō ga irasshaimashita), the president has arrived (honorific); (watashi ga mairimasu), I'll go (humble).
The special verbs
The most common verbs have their own honorific and humble forms, which you simply learn. Note the polite forms of the honorific verbs: (irasshaimasu), (osshaimasu), (nasaimasu), (kudasaimasu), with い instead of り.
| Plain | Honorific (their action) | Humble (my action) |
|---|---|---|
| (iru), be | (irassharu) | (oru) |
| (iku), go | (irassharu) | (mairu); visit: (ukagau) |
| (kuru), come | (irassharu), (omie ni naru) | (mairu) |
| (iu), say | (ossharu) | (mōsu), (mōshiageru) |
| (suru), do | (nasaru) | (itasu) |
| (miru), see | (goran ni naru) | (haiken suru) |
| (taberu), (nomu) | (meshiagaru) | (itadaku) |
| (shitte iru), know | (gozonji da) | (zonjite orimasu) |
| (au), meet | (oai ni naru) | (ome ni kakaru) |
| (kiku), ask, hear | (okiki ni naru) | (ukagau) |
| (kureru), give me | (kudasaru) | — |
| (morau), receive | — | (itadaku) |
- 何を召し上がりますか。Nani o meshiagarimasu ka.What would you like to eat?
- 資料はもうご覧になりましたか。Shiryō wa mō goran ni narimashita ka.Have you already looked at the documents?
- 明日、御社に伺います。Ashita, onsha ni ukagaimasu.I'll visit your company tomorrow.
Regular patterns: お～になる and お～する
Most other verbs follow two patterns. Honorific: (o) + ます stem + (ni naru): (okaeri ni naru), to go home; with Sino-Japanese words, (go) + noun + : (goriyō ni naru), to use. A lighter honorific is the passive form: (ikareru), (kakareru). Requests use ／ + stem + : (omachi kudasai), please wait; (gokinyū kudasai), please fill in.
Humble: + ます stem + (suru) or, humbler, (itasu): (omochi shimasu), I'll carry it for you; + noun + : (goannai shimasu), I'll show you the way; (gorenraku itashimasu), I'll get in touch.
- 社長はもうお帰りになりました。Shachō wa mō okaeri ni narimashita.The president has already gone home.
- こちらにお名前とご住所をご記入ください。Kochira ni onamae to gojūsho o gokinyū kudasai.Please write your name and address here.
- お荷物、お持ちしましょうか。Onimotsu, omochi shimashō ka.Shall I carry your luggage for you?
- 会議室にご案内いたします。Kaigishitsu ni goannai itashimasu.I'll show you to the meeting room.
Extra-polite words and staff language
Shops, banks, hotels and offices use very polite equivalents of everyday words. (gozaimasu) replaces (arimasu), and (de gozaimasu) replaces (desu): (otearai wa achira de gozaimasu), the toilets are over there. Others: (yoroshii) for (ii), (shōshō) for (sukoshi), (kochira) for (kore) and (koko), (dochirasama) for (dare).
(o) and (go) in front of nouns make them polite: (onamae), (gojūsho). usually goes with native Japanese words and with Sino-Japanese words, but there are exceptions like (odenwa).
- 少々お待ちください。Shōshō omachi kudasai.Please wait a moment.
- 失礼ですが、どちら様でしょうか。Shitsurei desu ga, dochirasama deshō ka.Excuse me, may I ask who you are?
- こちらでよろしいでしょうか。Kochira de yoroshii deshō ka.Would this one be all right?
Inside and outside: うち and そと (B2)
Keigo depends on groups. When you speak to someone outside your group, such as a client, the people inside your company count as “your side”, even your boss. So you don't use honorifics or (san) for them, and you use humble verbs for their actions: (Tanaka wa tadaima seki o hazushite orimasu), Tanaka is away from his desk at the moment.
Inside the company you'd say (Tanaka buchō) and use honorifics. Your own company is (heisha), our company; the client's is (onsha) in speech and (kisha) in writing. The same rule applies to family: to outsiders, your mother is (haha), and (haha ga mōshite orimashita), my mother said.
- 弊社の鈴木が明日伺います。Heisha no Suzuki ga ashita ukagaimasu.Suzuki from our company will visit you tomorrow.
- 申し訳ございません、山田は本日休みをいただいております。Mōshiwake gozaimasen, Yamada wa honjitsu yasumi o itadaite orimasu.I'm very sorry, Yamada is off today.
Business phrases and common mistakes (B2)
These fixed phrases appear in almost every business call or email. A common mistake is double keigo, piling two honorifics on one verb: (ossharu) is already honorific, so おっしゃられる is wrong. Another is using humble verbs for customers: say (dochira ni irasshaimasu ka), not どちらに参りますか.
| Phrase | Meaning and use |
|---|---|
| (itsumo osewa ni natte orimasu) | thank you for your continued support; the standard opening of calls and emails |
| (osoreirimasu ga) | I'm sorry to trouble you, but … |
| (mōshiwake gozaimasen) | I'm very sorry |
| (kashikomarimashita) | certainly, understood (to a customer) |
| (shōchi itashimashita) | understood (to a client or superior) |
| (gorenraku itadakemasu to saiwai desu) | I would be grateful if you could contact me (in writing) |
| (gokakunin no hodo, yoroshiku onegai itashimasu) | I'd be grateful if you could check it |
| (shitsurei itashimasu) | excuse me; goodbye (ending a call, leaving a room) |