If you want to master Japanese, learning “Hiragana”, “Katakana”, and “Kanji” is not enough. Japanese people use “Keigo” (honorific language) differently depending on the situation and the person you are talking to. If you cannot use proper “Keigo”, even a kind person may feel uncomfortable or upset. Moreover, there are about 7,000 languages in the world, but only a few have the concept of “Keigo”. It may seem unusual to you, but learning “Keigo” can help you succeed in doing business with Japanese people.
What’s Keigo?
People use “Keigo” to show respect for others. Even if the conversation partner is younger or in a lower position, it is not unusual to use “Keigo” when the relationship is formal or distant.
There are three main types of “Keigo”: Honorific language (尊敬語, Sonkeigo), Humble language (謙譲語, Kenjougo), and Polite language (丁寧語, Teineigo).
Honorific language shows respect by expressing the other person’s actions politely. On the other hand, Humble language shows respect by expressing one’s own actions humbly. Polite language is created by adding “です (desu)” or “ます (masu)” to verbs, or “お (o)” or “ご (go)” to nouns. Please refer to the examples below.
行く(go) / 来る(come)
<Honorific language> いらっしゃる
<Humble language> 参る・伺う
<Polite language> 行きます・来ます
食べる(eat)
<Honorific language> 召し上がる
<Humble language> いただく
<Polite language> 食べます
言う(say)
<Honorific language> おっしゃる
<Humble language> 申す
<Polite language> 言います
見る(see)
<Honorific language> ご覧になる
<Humble language> 拝見する
<Polite language> 見ます
聞く(listen)
<Honorific language> お聞きになる
<Humble language> 拝聴する・伺う
<Polite language> 聞きます
する(do)
<Honorific language> なさる・される
<Humble language> いたす
<Polite language> します
読む(read)
<Honorific language> お読みになる・読まれる
<Humble language> 拝読する
<Polite language> 読みます
着る(wear)
<Honorific language> お召しになる
<Humble language> (着させていただく)
<Polite language> 着ます
コメント