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Grammar detail: an introduction to 敬語(けいご)and politeness in Japanese
an introduction to 敬語(けいご)and politeness in Japanese
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けいご
敬語
is the Japanese term for 'polite language'. You will encounter the most important aspect of 敬語 very early in your Japanese studies: in normal speech, we use the ます form of a verb (also called the 'polite' form), instead of the dictionary form (also called the plain form).plain form | polite form | meaning |
い 行 く | い 行 きます | run |
い 言 う | い 言 います | say |
Nouns can be made 'more polite' by prefixing them with either お or ご. In general, お is used for words of Japanese origin and ご is used for words of Chinese origin, but there are exceptions, and it is best to learn the most common words. In some cases, the お or ご form of a word has become the generally accepted form, such as お
かね
金
, おちゃ
茶
or おみせ
店
.お金 (money) | お休み (holiday) | お祝い (celebration) |
お酒 (alcohol) | お皿 (dish) | お店 (store) |
ご主人 (husband) | ご機嫌 (mood) | ご祝儀 (tip) |
These forms are collectively known as
ていねいご
丁寧語
(polite language).Humble and honorific forms
In addition to the plain and polite forms, however, 敬語 encompasses two more concepts. Using these concepts correctly is tricky even for native speakers, because not only do they require slightly different vocabulary and grammar, they also require a conceptual understanding of exactly when to apply each form. The concepts are the 'honorific', which is used when talking about a third person, and the 'humble', which is used when talking about yourself. The basic idea is that to be extremely polite, you want to 'honor' the person you are talking to or about, and you want to 'humble' yourself.
Generally speaking, you will only need to use the honorific and humble forms yourself in formal situations - speeches, special events etc. However, you will hear them used quite a lot, because they are used for example in shops and restaurants. So it is worth familiarizing yourself with the idea quite early on, and then learning specific examples as you encounter them.
Honorific forms
Honorific forms are used when you are talking about a third party. In many situations, you can simply swap a standard verb for an honorific verb. In other cases, if a specific honorific verb does not exist, you can use an honorific form of the standard verb.
Honorific alternatives exist for many standard verbs, and in some cases there are multiple alternatives. Here are some of the most common:
する | なさる | do |
行く | おいでになる | go |
言う | おっしゃる | say |
くれる | 下さる | give |
食べる | 召し上がる | eat |
Any verb can be made honorific by using the お + になる form.
待つ | お待ちになる | wait |
教える | お教えになる | teach |
Another common approach is to use the passive form of a verb - the passive form is considered honorific.
These forms are known as
そんけいご
尊敬語
(honorific language).Humble forms
Humble forms are used when you are talking about yourself. Essentially you are showing respect to your listeners by using humble terms for words or actions that refer to yourself.
いる | おる | be |
行く | 参る | go |
見る | 拝見する | see |
言う | 申し上げる (opinion) or 申す (name) | say |
Any verb can be made humble by using the お + する form (sometimes called the affirmative humble form).
待つ | お待ちする | wait |
教える | お教えする | teach |
案内する | ご案内する | introduce |
These forms are known as
けんじょうご
謙譲語
(humble language).Kanji used in this grammar
カ ゲ した below, under しも bottom part もと under (influence) さげる to lower, to reduce さがる to be lowered くだる to descend くだす to judge くださる to give おろす to drop off (passenger) おりる to get off (train)
ジョウ ショウ うえ above うわ- above あげる to raise あがる to rise かみ first half, upper part のぼる to climb のぼせる to bring up, to raise のぼす to bring up
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