Honorifics in Japanese: A Complete Introduction to Keigo, Sonkeigo, and Kenjogo

Honorifics play a huge role in the Japanese language. They define underlying power dynamics and help the speaker express deference to the listener without being explicit. It is the one area of the language where it is as essential to understand the culture as it is to understand the grammar and syntax. It is also one area which can prove a bit of a stumbling block for learners (and beyond!). This is partly because the grammatical constructs can be a little difficult, and partly because conferring respect through defined words and grammar is unfamiliar to native English speakers.

The polite form we have been using throughout this guide is one of the three forms of Japanese honorifics. I’ve been referring to it as the “polite form” but its formal name is teineigo (literally, “polite language”). Teineigo is the basic way of being polite in Japanese and is absolutely crucial to master. As I’ve stated before: it is used everywhere, every day in Japan. The other two forms of keigo—sonkeigo and kenjōgo—are used to confer respect on the listener and humble oneself or show modesty. In addition to teineigo, sonkeigo, and kenjōgo there is also bikago which is linguistically separate but very closely related.

The JLPT tests your understanding of keigo and by N3 you would be expected to have a good understanding of all three forms. However, it may also crop up in N4, used as a phrase you are expected to know.

Teineigo【丁寧語】

You should now be familiar with this form of keigo—sometimes referred to as the desu and masu form.

彼かれは学生がくせいだ。

He is a student.

彼かれは学生がくせいです。

He is a student.

The commonly seen ございます is actually the polite form of ござる which is the formal verb for “to exist” (ある). In fact, it is also seen in some set phrases/words which beginners would likely be taught within their first few Japanese lessons.

おめでとうございます。

Congratulations.

おはようございます。

Good morning.

ありがとうございます。

Thank you very much.

こちらには在庫ざいこがございません。

We do not have any stock here.

We can also express the auxiliary verb in this form.

である　⇒　でございます。

もしもし、ABCの山田やまだでございます。

Hello, this is Yamada from ABC speaking.

Note that it is just Yamada and not Yamada-san. San is appended to a person’s name to confer respect (although it’s used so liberally with children, bosses, strangers, friends and so that it might be easy to forget this fact), consequently using it to confer respect on yourself is very unnatural. It’s such an easy mistake to make at first, but you cannot introduce yourself as “David-san” or “Jessica-san” and so on (it might raise a smile).

Sonkeigo【尊敬語】

Sonkeigo is used to elevate the listener to a position above yourself. Consequently, it can only be applied to actions that the listener will take and cannot be used for actions that the speaker will perform.

There are three ways to change a verb to sonkeigo.

1. Put the verb into the passive form
2. Use the verb stem and なる
3. Use the honorific verb (in certain cases)

The Passive Form

Recall when we met the passive form that the person performing action was required to take the に particle.

私わたしは誰だれかに何なにかを言いわれる。

I will be told something by someone.

結婚記念日けっこんきねんびを忘わすれて妻つまにめっちゃ怒おこられたんだよ。

I forgot our wedding anniversary and was given a hard time by my wife.

To form sonkeigo using the passive we put our listener as the subject. In the sentences below the subject—not explicitly stated—is the person whom you are addressing.

来週らいしゅうは出張しゅっちょうに行いかれますか？

Will you go on a business trip next week?

As noted previously, formal written Japanese does not use the question mark. Strictly speaking, questions should end in a Japanese period (kuten, 句点) like the questions below. I’m not going to be stickler for this rule in this grammar guide.

何なにかを飲のまれますか。

Will you drink something?

何時なんじぐらいに戻もどって来こられますか。

About what time will you return?

You may be thinking that we now have three identical conjugations (for group 2 verbs, at least) which all mean different things. And you’d be right.

食たべられますか。

Can you eat? [potential]

食たべられますか。

Will you be eaten? [passive]

食たべられますか。

Will you eat? [honorific]

But fortunately the meaning is always clear from the context. Further, the addition of a particle or two makes things grammatically clearer.

何なにかを食たべられますか。

“Can you eat something?” doesn’t really mean much and the passive form of the verb can’t take a direct object so logically it must be sonkeigo and the meaning simply, “Will you eat something?”

Now, technically, the standard sonkeigo form of the verb “to eat”, for example, is…

食たべられる。

… and not…

食たべられます。

But the entire point of using keigo is to confer respect and be polite to your listener and so using the standard plain form of the verb defeats the entire purpose. Consequently, everything gets put in the “polite form” (teineigo).

部長ぶちょう、お客きゃくさんに電話でんわされるの？(✘)

部長ぶちょう、お客きゃくさんに電話でんわされますか。

Will you call the customer?

In companies more senior employees often get addressed by their title/position, which doesn’t translate well in English.

Verb Stem and なる

The second way to form sonkeigo is to use the following structure:

【お or ご】【Verb: Stem】になる

お and ご are prefixes for nouns and verbs in keigo that denote or confer respect. They are often written in hiragana but the kanji for both is the same: 御.

English	Dictionary	Sonkeigo
to wait	待まつ	お待まちになる
to read	読よむ	お読よみになる
to use	利用りようする	ご利用りようになる

中澤なかざわさんにお会あいになりましたか？

Did you meet Nakazawa-san?

今日きょうの記事きじをお読よみになりましたか？

Did you read today’s article?

お分わかりになったと思おもいますが、もう一度いちど説明せつめいします。

I think you have understood, but I will explain once more.

コンピューターをご利用りようになりますでしょうか？

Will you use the computer?

Special Words

There are, however, certain words that change completely. Four of the most common are listed below.

English	Dictionary	Sonkeigo
to see	見みる	ご覧らんになる
to exist	いる	いらっしゃる
to say	言いう	仰おっしゃる
to do	する	なさる

この記事きじをご覧らんになりましたか？

Have you read [seen] this article?

今いま、どこにいらっしゃいますか？

Where are you at the moment?

金澤かなざわさんは明日あしたが報告書ほうこくしょの提出日ていしゅつびだと仰おっしゃっていました。

Kanazawa-san said that tomorrow is the deadline for the report.

When the verb has another special form like above then you should use that or the passive to form sonkeigo. In other words, you will not see the following sentence:

この記事きじをお見みになりましたか？(✘)

Have you read [seen] this article?

Incidentally, certain mistakes are so common amongst native speakers that they have almost become accepted into parlance.

お客様きゃくさまは「～」と仰おっしゃられました。

The customer said “～”.

This is the honorific form of “to say” (仰おっしゃる) put into the passive, creating a sort of “double keigo” which is grammatically incorrect. Nevertheless, it can be heard quite often in business meetings which only goes to prove that honorifics aren’t only a problem for learners of the language!

Sama used above a more polite form of the suffix san. Emails in the business world always use sama when the addressee is from outside of your own company. Equally, customers in restaurants, banks, and shops will be addressed using sama.

Kenjōgo【謙譲語】

Kenjōgo is used for actions performed by the speaker to humble themselves in front of the listener. Consequently it can only be applied to actions that the speaker will take. This is subtly different from sonkeigo. Sonkeigo elevates the listener; kenjōgo lowers the speaker. The result is the same—respect conferred from the speaker to the listener—but the usage and grammar are different.

We can form kenjōgo in three ways:

1. Combining the causative with the honorific verb “to receive”
2. The verb stem with the verb “to do”
3. Honorific verbs

The Causative and the Verb “to receive”

Recall that the causative was used to make or let someone do something. Recall also that ～てもらう was used to have someone do something for you.

Combining this structure and we get “to have someone let you do” which is a very convoluted way of saying that you will perform the action. The inference here is that the listener is being so kind as to let you perform the action or that you have the pleasure of performing the action. The verb いただく is the honorific form of もらう.

電話でんわさせていただきます。

To make a phone call.

プレゼンを始はじめさせていただきたいと思おもいます。

I would like to begin the presentation.

説明せつめいさせていただけると大変たいへんありがたいのですが。

If you would let me explain I would be very grateful.

The Verb Stem with the Verb “to do”

As a general rule we use the following structure to form kenjōgo:

【お or ご】【Verb: Stem】する

You’ll no doubt have noticed the similarity with the structure for forming sonkeigo; but note here that the verb “to do” is used instead of “to become” (and we don’t need the target particle).

English	Dictionary	Kenjōgo
to wait	待まつ	お待まちする
to send	送おくる	お送おくりする
to communicate	連絡れんらくする	ご連絡れんらくする

明日あしたはご連絡れんらくします。

I will be in touch tomorrow.

お待まちしています。

I am waiting.

後のちほどファイルをお送おくりさせていただきます。

I will send the file shortly.

Remember that kenjōgo can only be used for actions that you, the speaker, will perform. Consequently, the following is incorrect.

明日あしたはお送おくりしてください。(✘)

Please send me an email tomorrow.

Honorific Verbs

As with sonkeigo, certain words change completely. Some common examples:

English	Dictionary	Kenjōgo
to see	見みる	拝見はいけんする
to say	言いう	申もうす
to receive	もらう	頂いただく
to do	する	致いたす
to exist	いる	おる
to come	来くる	参まいる

私わたしはロバートと申もうします。

I’m called Robert.

電車でんしゃがまいります。

The train will arrive.

The above is often seen on the electronic boards at train stations.

コーヒーを頂いただいてもいいでしょうか？

May I have some coffee?

ご連絡れんらくをお待まちしております。

I’m waiting for your reply.

Note that ご連絡れんらく in the last sentence is sonkeigo—you are referring to the response of your interlocutor!

本店ほんてんの営業えいぎょうを９月くがつ１日ついたちより再開さいかいいたします。

We will re-start business on 1 September.

Onyomi vs. Kunyomi Prefixes (お vs. ご)

With keigo, we can also prefix お or ご to certain nouns to denote respect. As a general rule, words that are pronounced using onyomi (the Chinese-derived reading) take ご, while words using kunyomi (the native Japanese reading) take お.

For example, “communication” (連絡れんらく) is an onyomi word, so it takes a ご and becomes ご連絡. “Work” (仕事しごと) is a native kunyomi word, so it takes an お and becomes お仕事.

Unfortunately, there are a handful of very famous exceptions! For instance, the word “telephone” (電話でんわ) is an onyomi word, but it famously takes お (お電話). Other common onyomi exceptions that take お include お食事 (meal) and お時間 (time).

• 連絡れんらく　⇒　ご連絡
• 質問しつもん　⇒　ご質問
• 返事へんじ　⇒　お返事
• 電話でんわ　⇒　お電話でんわ (Exception)

Generally speaking, for objects or concepts that won’t pass from one person to another no prefix is used. A question can be asked by someone to someone, money exchanges hands, as do letters, but train stations just exist. Consequently the word for station cannot take a prefix. Nor would we use a prefix with nouns which are not desirable, e.g. a robber, a fire, an earthquake. Foreign words written in katakana also never take a prefix.

ご連絡れんらくありがとうございました。

Thank you for your correspondence.

何なにかわからないことがあればぜひお電話でんわください。

If there’s something that you don’t understand by all means give me a call.

Bikago【美化語】

Whereas keigo seeks to change the standing of the speaker with the listener to confer respect, bikago is used as a prefix for inanimate objects to “beautify” them. Indeed, the three kanji for bikago (美化語) mean “beauty” “change” and “language”. Below are some very typical examples (some of which have actually been included in past example sentences).

• 茶ちゃ　⇒　お茶
• 金かね　⇒　お金
• 水みず　⇒　お水

Because you are simply elevating the object itself the rules above do not so strictly apply. For example, the following sentences are grammatically acceptable despite the fact that you are talking about yourself in each:

お水みずが飲のみたい。

I want to drink water.

お金かねがない。

I’ve got no money.

A Final Word

Congratulations if you managed to read this far without putting your fist through the screen. Honorifics are quite frankly confusing—no, frustrating—at first. And they are not only difficult for learners of the language. Take the following for example:

ご連絡れんらくありがとうございます。

Here you’re referring to someone else’s correspondence so ご should be okay, right? But what about:

ご連絡れんらくします。

This seems like the correct use of kenjōgo, but then aren’t I using ご in reference to my own correspondence and therefore elevating myself above the other person…?

In fact both are correct (the first is sonkeigo and the second is indeed the correct usage of kenjōgo), but you can see where the seeming contradiction lies. You need only type ご連絡 into Google and all the links will be to Japanese forums where native speakers are asking about the correct usage of keigo.

Below is a summary table of some common words in teineigo, sonkeigo, and kenjōgo.

English	Teineigo	Sonkeigo*	Kenjōgo
to go	行いきます	いらっしゃる	参まいる
to come	来きます	いらっしゃる	参まいる
to exist	います	いらっしゃる	おる
to see	見みます	ご覧らんになる	拝見はいけんする
to eat/drink	食たべます / 飲のみます	召めし上あがる	頂いただく
to do	します	なさる	致いたす
to say	言いいます	仰おっしゃる	申もうす
to meet	会あいます	お会あいになる	お目めにかかる
to know	知しります	ご存知ぞんじです	存ぞんじる

* Remember that sonkeigo can always be formed by putting the verb in the passive form.