Learning Honorific Language in Japanese

Learning honorific language in Japanese

Japanese people are very polite when they speak. They pick the way of speaking that fits the situation. Honorific language (敬語 – けいご) is what Japanese people use when the listener, or the person being spoken about, is above them (in age, in social standing…) or is not close to them – someone they have just met, for instance. There are 3 kinds of honorific language. The polite forms (the ます and です verb forms …) are already familiar to everyone; the other two, respectful language and humble language, are what this post covers.

I. Respectful language
Respectful language in Japanese is written 尊敬語 (そんけいご). It is the way a speaker shows respect when talking about the actions or the state of the listener or of the person being spoken about.

1. Nouns, adjectives and adverbs
Some nouns, adjectives and adverbs take お/ご to become respectful. As a rule, native Japanese words take お while words of Chinese origin take ご.

Examples of words taking お:
Nouns: お茶 (おちゃ), お酒 (おさけ), お国 (おくに), お米 (おこめ) …

Adjectives: お暇 (おひま), お忙しい (おいそがしい), お早い (おはやい), お若い (おわかい)…

Examples of words taking ご:
Nouns: ご意見 (ごいけん), ご説明 (ごせつめい), ご旅行 (ごりょこう), ご紹介 (ごしょうかい)…

Adjectives: ご熱心 (ごねっしん), ご親切 (ごしんせつ), ご不満 (ごふまん), ご満足 (ごまんぞく)…

A few exceptions: お電話 (おでんわ), お仕事 (おしごと), お部屋 (おへや), お時間 (おじかん), お元気 (おげんき)…

2. Passive verb forms
The passive form of a verb can be used as a respectful verb.

Examples:
田中さんは９時に来られます。Mr Tanaka will arrive at 9 o'clock.

山田さんはお酒をやめられました。Mr Yamada has given up drinking.

社長(しゃちょう)は帰られましたか。 Has the director gone home?

3. Special respectful verbs
Some verbs are respectful in themselves. Using them carries more respect than using the passive form. Below are the common special respectful verbs:

いらっしゃいます : to be, to be somewhere, to go, to come (respectful form of いる, 来る, 行く).

召(め)し上(あ)がります: to eat, to drink (respectful form of 食べる, 飲む).

おっしゃいます: to say (respectful form of 言う).

なさいます : to do (respectful form of する).

ご覧(らん)になります: to look at (respectful form of 見る).

ご存(ぞん)じです: to know (respectful form of 知っている).

Examples:
山田先生は教室(きょうしつ)にいらっしゃいます。Mr Yamada is in the classroom.

部長(ぶちょう)はもうご飯を召し上がりました。The department manager has already eaten.

明日木村さんはテニスをなさいます。Mr Kimura is going to play tennis tomorrow.

4. お + the ます form of the verb (with ます dropped) + なります
This pattern is not used with one-syllable verbs (such as 寝る (ねる), 見る (みる), …), with group 3 verbs, or with verbs that have an equivalent special respectful verb. It carries more respect than the passive form and about as much as a special respectful verb.

Examples:
先生はもうお帰りになりました。The teacher has already gone home.

いつ山田さんにお会いになりましたか。When did you meet Mr Yamada?

田中さんは新しいパソコンをお買いになりました。Mr Tanaka has bought a new computer.

II. Humble language
Humble language is the self-lowering way a speaker talks about their own actions in order to show respect to the listener or to the person being spoken about.

1. Special humble verbs
Some verbs are humble in themselves. Below are the common special humble verbs.

参(まい)ります : to go, to come (humble form of 行く, 来る)

おります : to be, to be somewhere (humble form of いる)

いただきます : to eat, to drink, to receive (humble form of 食べる, 飲む, もらう)

申(もう)します : to say (humble form of 言う)

いたします : to do (humble form of する)

拝見(はいけん)します : to look at (humble form of 見る)

存(ぞん)じます : to know (humble form of 知る)

伺(うかが)います : to ask, to hear, to visit (humble form of 聞く,行く)

お目(め)にかかります : to meet (humble form of 会う)

Examples:
田中さんは日本から参ります。Mr Tanaka comes from Japan.
私は山田と申します。My name is Yamada.
社長(しゃちょう)の奥(おく)さんの写真(しゃしん)を拝見しました。I have seen a photograph of the director's wife.
教室(きょうしつ)におります : I am in the classroom.

2. お/ご + the ます form of the verb (with ます dropped) + します/いたします
This pattern does not apply to one-syllable verbs or to verbs that have an equivalent humble verb.

Native Japanese verbs take お in front (usually group 1 and group 2 verbs), and verbs of Chinese origin take ご (usually group 3 verbs). Note too that this pattern is used only when there is someone (other than the speaker) on the receiving end of the action.

Examples:
またご連絡(れんらく)します。I will be in touch again.

お持(も)ちしましょうか。Shall I carry that for you?

車でお送りします。I will give you a lift in my car.

会議(かいぎ)の内容(ないよう)をご説明(せつめい)します。I will explain what the meeting is about.

Note: a few group 3 verbs take お in front instead, such as お電話する, お約束(やくそく)する…

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HONORIFIC LANGUAGE IN FULL HD
1. USING HONORIFIC LANGUAGE IN BUSINESS ビジネス
2. COMMON MISTAKES WITH HONORIFIC LANGUAGE
3. USING HONORIFIC LANGUAGE ON THE PHONE
……

Download : Here

See also:
Honorific Language in Japanese Conversation
Honorific and Humble Language N4