Polite patterns – keigo

〜ます — politeness toward the listener

ます makes a statement polite toward the listener. It does not honor the person acting: 飲のみます works for yourself and for another person.

飲のむ without ます is grammatical but has a less polite tone. 召めし上あがります honors the person drinking. 飲のみます itself makes the statement polite toward the listener without this additional honor for the person acting.

ます makes the statement polite toward the listener. It does not honor the person drinking the coffee.

Examples

• 毎朝まいあさ、コーヒーを飲のみます。I drink coffee every morning.

〜です — politeness after a noun

です makes an “X is Y” sentence polite. It does not honor the person you describe.

会社員かいしゃいんだ can sound too casual to someone you have just met. The more courteous でございます also honors no person; でいらっしゃいます honors the person described.

The speaker politely states their occupation. です makes the sentence polite without honoring the speaker.

Examples

• 私わたしは会社員かいしゃいんです。I am a company employee.

〜でございます — a more courteous です

でございます is a more courteous です. Use it for things, places, and your own side; it honors no person. Use でいらっしゃいます for a person you honor, not for yourself.

Typical uses include customer service and introducing yourself: 合計ごうけいは千円せんえんでございます or 山田やまだでございます. To ask about a person you honor: 田中たなか様さまでいらっしゃいますか.

A staff member courteously states the amount. でございます is more courteous than です and honors no person.

Examples

• 合計ごうけいは千円せんえんでございます。The total is one thousand yen.

お〜になる — the other person’s action

The teacher has gone to a meeting in another building. You ask what time they will return.

お + verb stem + になる describes an action by a person you honour, not your own. The stem is the ます form without ます: 読よみます → 読よみ.

The teacher is the person returning and is the person the speaker honors. お〜になる describes that other person’s action.

Examples

• 先生せんせいは何時なんじにお帰かえりになりますか。What time will the teacher return?

お〜する — your own action toward someone

A staff member helps a guest through a door.

お + verb stem + する humbly describes your own action toward a person you honour. The stem is the ます form without ます: 持もちます → 持もち.

The staff member opens the door for the guest. お〜する humbly describes the speaker’s own action directed toward a person they honor.

Examples

• ドアをお開あけします。I will open the door for you.

ご〜になる — the other person’s action

ご + a noun of Chinese origin + になる describes an action by a person you honor. ご is usual; some established words require お.

The noun forms a verb with する: 利用りようする, 説明せつめいする, 確認かくにんする. These give ご利用りようになる, ご説明せつめいになる, ご確認かくにんになる. Memorize exceptions such as お電話でんわになる and お約束やくそくになる separately.

The teacher checks the schedule and is the person the speaker honors. 確認かくにん is a word of Chinese origin; with する it forms the verb 確認かくにんする. ご〜になる honors the person performing that action.

Examples

• 先生せんせいは予定よていをご確認かくにんになります。The teacher will check the schedule.

ご〜する — your own action toward someone

A shop assistant shows a customer a new product.

ご + a stem of Chinese origin + する humbly describes your own action toward a person you honour. It is the counterpart of お〜する for stems of Chinese origin, as in ご案内あんない, ご連絡れんらく, ご説明せつめい.

The staff member explains how to use the item to a customer. 説明せつめい is a word of Chinese origin; with する it forms the verb 説明せつめいする. ご〜する humbly describes the speaker’s own action directed toward the customer.

Examples

• 使つかい方かたをご説明せつめいします。I will explain how to use it.

お＋和語わご — a native Japanese word

On first meeting someone, you politely ask which town or city they live in.

お here precedes the native Japanese noun 住すまい. お住すまい refers to where the listener lives and honors that person. The role of お depends on use: a thing associated with a person you honor is honorific; your own action toward someone is humble; word beautification alone is 美化語びかご.

お住すまい here honors the listener through their place of residence. お手紙てがみを差さし上あげます humbly describes your own action. お金かね and お酒さけ may merely beautify a word; お alone does not assign ownership.

お住すまい refers to where the listener lives. お before the native Japanese word 住すまい shows respect for that person.

Examples

• お住すまいはどちらですか。Where do you live?

ご＋漢語かんご — a word of Chinese origin

Many nouns of Chinese origin (漢語かんご), such as 家族かぞく, 住所じゅうしょ and 意見いけん, take ご: ご家族かぞく, ご住所じゅうしょ, ご意見いけん. Established exceptions take お, such as お電話でんわ, お時間じかん and お食事しょくじ.

The speaker asks about the listener’s family. ご precedes a noun of Chinese origin and shows respect for the person whose family is being discussed.

Examples

• ご家族かぞくは何人なんにんですか。How many people are in your family?

美化語びかご — beautifying the word itself

お in お酒さけ beautifies the word. In this example it neither honors nor humbles a person. This category is 美化語びかご: making the word itself sound more courteous.

The 敬語けいごの指針ししん guidelines distinguish 美化びか語ご as a category. Textbooks also include it within polite 丁寧ていねい語ご.

The speaker describes their own habit. お beautifies the word for alcohol; it does not honor the speaker or an owner of the item.

Examples

• 私わたしはお酒さけを飲のみません。I do not drink alcohol.

お〜いたす — your own action and formal courtesy

A guest leaves their luggage in the care of the hotel staff.

お〜いたす combines two functions: it humbly describes your action toward its recipient and adds courtesy toward the listener. It fits customer service and correspondence; in private conversation it can sound artificial.

お〜する supplies the first function and いたす the second. 敬語けいごの指針ししん calls this 謙譲語けんじょうごⅠ兼けんⅡ.

お預あずかり humbly describes looking after the guest’s luggage and honors the guest. いたします presents the speaker’s action humbly and formally to the listener.

Examples

• お荷物にもつをお預あずかりいたします。I will look after your luggage.