Honorific and humble words – keigo
いらっしゃる, 召し上がる, 伺う – twenty honorific and humble words, each beside its plain verb and inside a sentence.
いらっしゃる · to go, come or be — said of the other person
The office tells a visitor where the teacher is.
“Go, come or be” when speaking of someone you honor. いらっしゃる replaces 行く・来る・いる; its polite form is いらっしゃいます.
Memorize this form: it does not follow from adding a regular ending. For your own side, “go/come” becomes 伺います or まいります; “be” becomes おります.
いらっしゃいます means “is” here. The form honors the teacher whose presence you describe.
Examples
- 先生は今、研究室にいらっしゃいます。The teacher is in their office now.
おっしゃる · to say — said of the other person
You tell a colleague what the teacher said.
おっしゃる is the honorific form of 言う. It describes the other person's action and raises that person.
The form follows from no rule — it has to be memorized.
おっしゃいました describes the teacher’s speaking. The past tense keeps the respect shown to the speaker.
Examples
- 先生は「来週です」とおっしゃいました。The teacher said, “Next week.”
なさる · to do — said of the other person
You ask an older listener what exercise they do on their days off.
なさる is the honorific form of する. It describes the other person's action and raises that person.
The form follows from no rule — it has to be memorized.
なさいます replaces the ordinary します. It honors the person exercising.
Examples
- 休日はどんな運動をなさいますか。What exercise do you do on your days off?
ご覧になる · to look at — said of the other person
A tourist information staff member asks a visitor to look at a map.
ご覧になる is the honorific form of 見る: it describes viewing by a person you honor. Memorize 覧 in place of 見.
The ending follows お／ご〜になる, as in お休みになる. ご accompanies 覧, a stem of Chinese origin, while お accompanies the native Japanese 休み.
ご覧 describes the visitor’s viewing respectfully. ください makes the sentence a polite request.
Examples
- こちらの地図をご覧ください。Please look at this map.
召し上がる · to eat or drink — said of the other person
A hotel staff member says that the guest will have breakfast.
召し上がる is the honorific form of 食べる・飲む. It describes the other person's action and raises that person.
The form follows from no rule — it has to be memorized.
召し上がります describes the guest’s eating. It honors the eater, not the speaker.
Examples
- お客様は朝食を召し上がります。The guest will have breakfast.
くださる · to give to me, or to do something for me — said of the other person
You say that the teacher gave you a book.
くださる is the honorific form of くれる. It describes the other person's action and raises that person.
The form follows from no rule — it has to be memorized.
くださいました is the past form of くださる. The teacher is the giver and the person you honor.
Examples
- 先生が本をくださいました。The teacher gave me a book.
ご存じだ · to know — said of the other person
You politely ask whether the listener knows the way to the station.
ご存じだ is the honorific form of 知っている. It describes the other person's action and raises that person.
The form follows from no rule — it has to be memorized.
ご存じです describes the listener’s knowledge and honors the person who knows the way.
Examples
- 駅までの道をご存じですか。Do you know the way to the station?
お休みになる · to go to sleep — said of the other person
In the evening, you explain that the teacher is already asleep.
お休みになる describes sleeping by a person you honor. It uses 休む instead of 寝る with the regular お〜になる pattern.
Memorize the change of verb rather than a new ending.
お休みになる describes the teacher’s sleep respectfully. 〜ています marks the ongoing state here.
Examples
- 先生はもうお休みになっています。The teacher is already asleep.
伺う · to go to someone, or to ask them something — said of oneself
A receptionist politely asks a guest for their address.
伺う humbly describes your going, coming, or asking/listening: 行く・来る・聞く. It lowers the doer and honors the person the action is directed at — 謙譲語Ⅰ. For “go/come”, まいる describes your own side courteously toward the listener, without honoring the person you go to — 謙譲語Ⅱ. まいる does not replace 聞く.
The form follows from no rule — it has to be memorized.
伺います means “I will ask” here, not “I will come”. It humbly describes your asking and honors the person asked.
Examples
- ご住所を伺います。I will ask for your address.
申し上げる · to say to someone one respects
You offer the listener formal congratulations.
申し上げる is the humble form of 言う. It describes one's own action: it lowers the doer and thereby raises the person it is directed at — that is what makes it 謙譲語Ⅰ. Its twin 申す (謙譲語Ⅱ) describes the same act but raises nobody.
The form follows from no rule — it has to be memorized.
申し上げます humbly describes my words. I honor the person I congratulate.
Examples
- 心からお祝いを申し上げます。I offer my heartfelt congratulations.
拝見する · to look at — said of oneself, humbly
The teacher showed you their photographs. You say that you looked at them.
拝見する is the humble form of 見る. It describes one's own action: it lowers the doer and thereby raises the person it is directed at — that is what makes it 謙譲語Ⅰ.
The form follows from no rule — it has to be memorized.
拝見しました humbly describes my viewing. It honors the teacher whose photographs I view.
Examples
- 先生の写真を拝見しました。I looked at the teacher’s photographs.
いただく · to receive, eat or drink — said of oneself
When thanking the teacher, you mention a book you received from them.
いただく means receive, eat, or drink. This entry uses “receive”: it humbly describes your receiving and honors the giver — 謙譲語Ⅰ.
When いただく describes eating or drinking without referring the action to a giver, it functions as 謙譲語Ⅱ: it presents your own side courteously to the listener. When you emphasize receiving something from a respected person, you honor the giver — 謙譲語Ⅰ. The meaning “eat/drink” alone does not rule out such a person.
いただきました describes my receiving the book. The humble form honors the teacher as the giver.
Examples
- 先生から本をいただきました。I received a book from the teacher.
さしあげる · to give to someone one respects
A shop staff member offers a customer a product sample.
さしあげる is humble あげる: it describes your giving and honors the recipient — 謙譲語Ⅰ. You may use it toward the listener. Adding 〜てさしあげる to an action describing a favor needs care: it can sound like pointing out your favor.
Instead of 荷物を持ってさしあげます, say お持ちします.
さしあげます humbly describes giving by our side. The customer is the recipient you honor.
Examples
- お客様に見本をさしあげます。I will give the customer a sample.
お目にかかる · to meet someone of higher standing
You introduce yourself to the listener at your first meeting.
お目にかかる is the humble form of 会う. It describes one's own action: it lowers the doer and thereby raises the person it is directed at — that is what makes it 謙譲語Ⅰ.
The form follows from no rule — it has to be memorized.
お目にかかります humbly describes my meeting. It honors the person I meet.
Examples
- 初めてお目にかかります。I am meeting you for the first time.
承る · to hear (e.g. a request) or to accept (e.g. an order, a task) — said of oneself
A hotel staff member says they will take a guest’s reservation.
承る is the humble form of 聞く・引き受ける. It describes one's own action: it lowers the doer and thereby raises the person it is directed at — that is what makes it 謙譲語Ⅰ.
The form follows from no rule — it has to be memorized.
承ります humbly describes the staff member’s taking a reservation. It honors the guest making it.
Examples
- ご予約を承ります。I will take your reservation.
まいる · to go or come — said modestly of oneself
You formally tell the listener about your trip to Osaka.
まいる is the humble (丁重語) form of 行く・来る. It describes one's own action modestly towards the listener, but raises nobody the act is directed at — that is what makes it 謙譲語Ⅱ・丁重語.
The form follows from no rule — it has to be memorized.
まいります describes my journey modestly when speaking to the listener. It honors no person or place I go to.
Examples
- 来月、大阪へまいります。I will go to Osaka next month.
申す · to say, or to be called — said modestly of oneself
A receptionist introduces themselves to a guest.
申す is the humble (丁重語) form of 言う. It describes one's own action modestly towards the listener, but raises nobody the act is directed at — that is what makes it 謙譲語Ⅱ・丁重語.
The form follows from no rule — it has to be memorized.
申します introduces my name modestly toward the listener. It does not honor the recipient of the words as the target of the action.
Examples
- 受付の鈴木と申します。My name is Suzuki; I work at reception.
いたす · to do — said modestly of oneself
A staff member tells a customer that their team will do the checking.
いたす is the humble (丁重語) form of する. It describes one's own action modestly towards the listener, but raises nobody the act is directed at — that is what makes it 謙譲語Ⅱ・丁重語.
The form follows from no rule — it has to be memorized.
いたします describes our side’s action modestly toward the listener. It does not honor a person the action is directed at.
Examples
- 確認はこちらでいたします。We will handle the checking.
おる · to be — said modestly of oneself
On the phone, you tell the listener where they can find you.
おる is the humble (丁重語) form of いる. It describes one's own action modestly towards the listener, but raises nobody the act is directed at — that is what makes it 謙譲語Ⅱ・丁重語.
The form follows from no rule — it has to be memorized.
おります modestly describes my presence toward the listener. It honors no particular person or place.
Examples
- 私は受付におります。I am at reception.
存じる · to know or think — said modestly of oneself
In a formal conversation, you give your opinion about a proposed method.
存じる modestly expresses “I know” or “I think/feel” toward the listener — 謙譲語Ⅱ・丁重語. It honors nobody. When saying you know a person you respect, use 存じ上げる — 謙譲語Ⅰ.
存じております is a humble “I know”. For a respected person: 先生を存じ上げております.
存じます means “I think” here. You express your opinion modestly toward the listener without honoring another person.
Examples
- その方法がよいと存じます。I think that method is good.
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