{"id":63093,"date":"2016-04-21T15:45:54","date_gmt":"2016-04-21T06:45:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/japanese-keigo\/"},"modified":"2016-04-21T15:45:54","modified_gmt":"2016-04-21T06:45:54","slug":"japanese-keigo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/ja\/japanese-keigo\/","title":{"rendered":"An Introduction to Japanese Keigo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The word <em>keigo <\/em>(\u656c\u8a9e) is written with the kanji that means &#8220;to respect&#8221; (\u656c) or &#8220;to admire&#8221; and the kanji for &#8220;language&#8221; (\u8a9e). Japanese society has always cared for hierarchy to the point that honorific speech seems to be a whole other language. If you&#8217;re planning to build a fulfilling career in Japan, knowing business Japanese will help you stand out during your job search. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whatever the reason you are studying Japanese, we believe you were having fun. You enjoyed writing your first hiragana and katakana. Gradually, you were able to express yourself and hold a steady casual conversation in Japanese. Or, at least, that was at the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you reach for the intermediate step, the fun fades away and you are shaking your head with despair as you try to understand Japanese honorific speech. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So in this article, we&#8217;re guiding you through all the nooks and crannies of Japanese keigo \u2014 from the viewpoint of a non-native. We&#8217;ll discuss the honorific forms, humble forms, conjugations and phrases. Japanese honorific<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Jump to:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#Introduction to&nbsp;Japanese&nbsp;Keigo\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#Introduction to&nbsp;Japanese&nbsp;Keigo\">Introduction to Keigo<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#The-Concept-of-Uchi-and-Soto\">The Concept of Uchi &amp; Soto<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Japanese-Keigo-for-Beginners\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#Japanese-Keigo-for-Beginners\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Japanese Keigo for Beginners<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Basic-Rules-of-Keigo\">Basic Rules of Keigo<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Polite\">Polite Keigo: \u4e01\u5be7\u8a9e<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Honorific\">Honorific Keigo: \u5c0a\u656c\u8a9e<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Humble\">Humble Keigo: \u8b19\u8b72\u8a9e<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Japanese-Keigo-Conjugation\">Keigo Conjugation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#Speaking-Keigo-As-a-Foreigner\" data-type=\"internal\" data-id=\"#Speaking-Keigo-As-a-Foreigner\">Speaking Keigo as a Foreigner: Phrases<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#When\">When should I use keigo?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Introduction-to-Japanese-Keigo\"><strong>Introduction to&nbsp;<\/strong><strong>Japanese&nbsp;<\/strong><strong>Keigo<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you know that Japan had a caste system in the past? Until the Meiji restoration, people in different castes would not speak the same Japanese as a form of respect for social ranks. Despite the disappearance of the caste system, honorific speech is still used to mark the degree of intimacy or social standing between people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To use keigo is to show your consideration and respect for a person older than you or someone with a higher social standing. Age isn&#8217;t the only factor. It can be based on a different position or experience in a company, like your <em>senpai <\/em>(someone who&#8217;s more senior). Your speech will differ accordingly to the person in front of you: a friend, a colleague, a chief or a client; and to whom you a referring to yourself, your friend, colleague or client.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But don&#8217;t believe keigo speech is easier for native speakers, too. Japanese kids learn keigo the hard way, as they enter junior high school and are confronted with the Japanese hierarchy. Suddenly, they have to mark the difference between \u5148\u8f29 (elder students) and \u5f8c\u8f29 (junior students).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><meta charset=\"utf-8\">If the thought of learning a whole new style of speaking Japanese sounds scary then you are not alone. Memorizing keigo is a challenge for even Japanese people so it&#8217;s good to know that we&#8217;re all in the same position.&nbsp;Very often, Japanese people will not learn keigo in school, but during intensive training sessions before they start their first job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"The-Concept-of-Uchi-and-Soto\"><strong>The Concept of Uchi and Soto<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To better understand respectful speech, take a peek into the Japanese concept of <em>uchi and soto, <\/em>or &#8220;in-out&#8221; (\u5185-\u5916). The idea might seem simple: <em>uchi <\/em>(\u5185) literally means &#8220;inside&#8221;, while <em>soto <\/em>(\u5916) means &#8220;outside&#8221;. But both words aren&#8217;t just about the physical position. They&#8217;re used to describe <em>social distance <\/em>too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The concept of <em>uchi <\/em>and <em>soto <\/em>shapes Japan&#8217;s culture. In sociology and social psychology, there is the concept of &#8220;in-group&#8221; and &#8220;out-group&#8221;, and the Japanese society takes this matter more seriously \u2014 so seriously, in fact, that it plays a significant role in its language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Basically, an in-group is the social group that you identify as a member of. Out-group, on the other hand, is a group that doesn&#8217;t fall into the in-group. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/ja\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/Blog-featured-image-1-1-1024x536.png\" alt=\"japanese keigo uchi soto concept\" class=\"wp-image-74652\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In Japanese, \u5185 means home. As a concept, <em>uchi <\/em>(\u5185) reflects in-group and refers to all the people you know inside a specific social circle: your family, your company and your club. For example, inside the \u5185, family members may drop the title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Japanese, <em>soto <\/em>(\u5916) is the culture&#8217;s equivalent to out-group.  As a concept, \u5916 refers to all the people who are not inside your specific social circle. For example, another company\u2019s employee or team rival. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So why are these concepts important in Japanese keigo? Japan, like many Eastern countries that tend to be collectivists, follows the rough idea that conformity in society is more important \u2014 the opposite of more individualistic views of Western culture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In other words, being part of a group is an important element in Japan. Japanese speech differs depending on the social context of what you define as your in-group at the moment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In-group can go as small as your family and span to a country. Think of the concept of &#8220;us&#8221; and &#8220;them&#8221;. This dynamic concept affects social interactions and is reflected in the Japanese language. So keep in mind that you will not use honorific words when speaking about insiders (people from your social circles) to outsiders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Japanese-Keigo-for-Beginners\">Japanese Keigo for Beginners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before you actually dive into keigo, you will probably learn the polite verb forms, otherwise known as <em>teinei <\/em>(\u4e01\u5be7\/\u3066\u3044\u306d\u3044). This consists of the stem of a verb and what is called the ~\u307e\u3059 form. For example, the verb &#8220;to see&#8221;,&nbsp;<ruby>\u898b<rp>\uff08<\/rp><rt>\u307f<\/rt><rp>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u308b, becomes <ruby>\u898b<rp>\uff08<\/rp><rt>\u307f<\/rt><rp>\uff09<\/rp><\/ruby>\u307e\u3059.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keigo covers both humble form, <em>kenjougo<\/em> (\u8b19\u8b72\u8a9e), and polite form, <em>sonkeigo<\/em> (\u5c0a\u656c\u8a9e), with various levels of vocabulary and expressions. This written Japanese offers even more complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you start to have a good command of Japanese, you will realize that politeness in Japanese is of great importance when dealing with elders or working in a professional environment. You will learn to adjust your speech depending on whether you have a certain intimacy with someone or to emphasize the social rank disparity if you are in a higher position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u3054\u98ef\u3092\u98df\u3079\u307e\u3059\u3002<br><em>Gohan o tabemasu.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u6620\u753b\u3092\u307f\u307e\u3059\u3002<br>Eiga <em>o mimasu. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But what if you want to show even <em>more <\/em>respect to someone? After all, humility is a big part of Japanese culture, in work or social life. Take a look at the table below to see three different levels of &#8220;politeness&#8221;. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><thead><tr><th><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Casual<\/th><th><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Formal<\/th><th><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Keigo<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>\u304a\u571f\u7523\u3092\u3082\u3089\u3063\u305f<meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u3002<br><\/strong><em><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Omiyage o moratta<\/span><\/em><\/td><td><strong>\u304a\u571f\u7523\u3092\u3082\u3089\u3044\u307e\u3057\u305f<meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u3002<br><\/strong><em><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Omiyage o moraimashita<\/span><\/em><\/td><td><strong>\u304a\u571f\u7523\u3092\u3044\u305f\u3060\u304d\u307e\u3057\u305f<meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u3002<br><\/strong><em><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Omiyage o itadakimashita.<\/span><\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>One of our students joked that a good rule of thumb is this: the longer the sentence become, the more polite and formal it is. We don&#8217;t know if it&#8217;s entirely true, but that&#8217;s the pattern we see. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, you&#8217;re most likely to use the casual Japanese form with your in-group \u2014 who you have an equal or casual relationship with. This can be your classmates who you know very well, your close friends, siblings or even parents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Going up a notch, the formal form is typically used for someone who has more social distance from you: your teachers, coworkers or strangers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You use the utmost polite Japanese keigo to someone you deem sits on a much higher social hierarch. This demographic falls to people like your managers, boss and, <em>yes, <\/em>customers or clients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But remember the &#8220;in-group&#8221; and &#8220;out-group&#8221; concepts again? Japanese people, especially women, have a tendency to use keigo even to a stranger, so don&#8217;t be surprised if they talk to you in a very humble and honorific language. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Basic-Rules-of-Keigo\"><strong>Basic Rules of Keigo<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/app\/uploads\/2016\/04\/keigo11.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/app\/uploads\/2016\/04\/keigo11-1024x353.jpg\" alt=\"keigo respectful speech table teineigo sonkeigo kenjougo\" class=\"wp-image-4262\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that we&#8217;ve gotten over who we can use keigo and the concept of uchi and soto, we can deal with the real keigo rules. The Japanese language is actually divided into three groups: the polite style, the humble style and the honorific style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When using keigo, some words can be substituted for a more respectful version. For example, the word \u3042\u3057\u305f (tomorrow) and \u3072\u3068 (person) will become \u3042\u3059 and \u304b\u305f respectively. This form of speech is called Aratamatta iikata (<em>\u6539\u307e\u3063\u305f\u8a00\u3044\u65b9<\/em>): formal speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The second thing to know is that Japanese honorific prefixes o or go can be added to certain nouns and verbs. The easiest examples is certainly tea, cha which becomes &#8220;o-cha&#8221; and family, \u5bb6\u65cf, which becomes \u3054\u5bb6\u65cf.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The adjunction of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/japanese-honorific-prefixes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">honorifics after names<\/a>&nbsp;is also a part of the respectful speech. The polite \u3055\u3093, like Tanaka-san (\u7530\u4e2d\u3055\u3093) becomes Tanaka-sama (\u7530\u4e2d\u69d8).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. <strong>Polite Japanese: Teineigo (\u4e01\u5be7\u8a9e)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/app\/uploads\/2016\/04\/keigo2.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/app\/uploads\/2016\/04\/keigo2-1024x197.jpg\" alt=\"keigo masu form copula desu\" class=\"wp-image-4259\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The polite style is the easiest form of keigo ruled by regular grammar with a structure similar to casual speech. Thus, it is the first form of keigo taught to Japanese language learners. So when you are using \u3067\u3059 and \u307e\u3059 instead of the dictionary form, a considerate and formal tone of Japanese, you are already using keigo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a reminder, the copula \u3067\u3059 comes after nouns, adjectives, and adverbs, generally, at the end of a sentence while the suffix \u307e\u3059 is added at the end of a verb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><thead><tr><th><meta charset=\"utf-8\">English<\/th><th><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Regular<\/th><th><meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u4e01\u5be7\u8a9e<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><\/strong>I am going to buy a book.<\/td><td><strong><meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u672c\u3092\u8cb7\u3044\u306b\u884c\u304f<meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u3002<br><\/strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\"><em>Hono kaini iku<\/em>.<\/span><\/td><td><strong>\u672c\u3092\u8cb7\u3044\u306b\u884c\u304d\u307e\u3059<meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u3002 <br><\/strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Hono kaini ikimasu.<\/span><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\">The phone is broken.<\/td><td><strong>\u643a\u5e2f(\u3051\u3044\u305f\u3044)\u304c\u58ca(\u3053\u308f)\u308c\u305f\u3002<br><\/strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\"><em>Keitaiga kowareta<\/em>.<\/span><\/td><td><strong>\u643a\u5e2f\u304c\u58ca\u308c\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002\u3000<br><\/strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Keitaiga kowaremashita.<\/span><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\">What is this?<\/td><td><strong>\u3053\u308c\u306f\u4f55\u3060 <meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u3002<br><\/strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\"><em>Korewa nan da<\/em>.<\/span><\/td><td><strong>\u3053\u3061\u3089\u306f\u4f55\u3067\u3059\u304b<meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u3002 <br><\/strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Kochirawa nandesuka.<\/span><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"rbcWidgetArea wp-block-heading\">2. <strong>Honorific Japanese: Sonkeigo (\u5c0a\u656c\u8a9e)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This style is to show respect to someone of higher position, like a superior or a customer, when speaking to them. You should never use \u5c0a\u656c\u8a9e form to refer to yourself. The usage of \u5c0a\u656c\u8a9e is difficult to understand, and characterized by lengthy polite sentences. Whereby, common verbs will change for more polite ones and some will even change into a respectful form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><thead><tr><th><meta charset=\"utf-8\">English<\/th><th><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Regular<\/th><th>Honorofic Form<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><\/strong>Is Mr. Tanaka here?<\/td><td><strong><meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u3059\u307f\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3001\u7530\u4e2d\u5148\u751f\u306f<strong>\u3044\u307e\u3059\u304b\u3002<\/strong><\/strong><br><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\"><em>Sumimasen, tanaka-sensei wa imasuka<\/em><\/span><\/td><td><strong>\u3059\u307f\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3001\u7530\u4e2d\u5148\u751f\u306f<strong>\u3044\u3089\u3063\u3057\u3083\u3044\u307e\u3059\u304b<\/strong><\/strong><br><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Sumimasen, tanaka-sensei wa irasshaimasuka<\/span><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>How was the interview?<\/td><td><strong><meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u9762\u63a5\u306f<strong>\u3069\u3046<\/strong>\u3067\u3057\u305f\u304b\u3002<\/strong><br><em><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Mensetsu wa dou deshitaka<\/span><\/em><\/td><td><strong><meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u9762\u63a5\u306f<strong>\u3044\u304b\u304c<\/strong>\u3067\u3057\u305f\u304b\u3002<\/strong><br><em><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Mensetsu wa ikaga deshitaka<\/span><\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Humble Keigo: \u8b19\u8b72\u8a9e<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/ja\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/08\/\u304a\u3063\u3057\u3083\u3044\u307e\u3059.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-75402\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In the table above, you will find the honorific and humble styles&#8217; special set expressions, along with the polite and casual speech forms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The following humble set-expressions \u304a\u308a\u307e\u3059, \u53c2\u308a\u307e\u3059, \u3044\u305f\u3057\u307e\u3059, \u3044\u305f\u3060\u304d\u307e\u3059, \u3082\u3046\u3057\u307e\u3059, \u5b58\u3058\u3067\u304a\u308a\u307e\u3059 are part of a third category called \u4e01\u91cd\u8a9e. This courteous form of keigo is not often referred to and is used when your action does not directly involve the listener, but most likely the person you are talking to is someone to whom you want to be very polite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><thead><tr><th><meta charset=\"utf-8\">English<\/th><th><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Regular<\/th><th><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u8b19\u8b72\u8a9e<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><\/strong><meta charset=\"utf-8\">I am Sakura.<\/td><td><strong><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><meta charset=\"utf-8\"> \u79c1\u306f\u3055\u304f\u3089<strong>\u3067\u3059\u3002<\/strong><\/strong><br><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Watashi wa sakura desu.<\/span><\/td><td><strong><meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u79c1\u306f\u3055\u304f\u3089<strong>\u3068\u7533\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002<\/strong><\/strong><br><em><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Watashi wa sakura to moushimasu.<\/span><\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\">The phone is broken.<\/td><td><strong>\u643a\u5e2f(\u3051\u3044\u305f\u3044)\u304c\u58ca(\u3053\u308f)\u308c\u305f\u3002<br><\/strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\"><em>Keitaiga kowareta<\/em>.<\/span><\/td><td><strong>\u643a\u5e2f\u304c\u58ca\u308c\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002\u3000<br><\/strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Keitaiga kowaremashita.<\/span><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><meta charset=\"utf-8\">I read the book<\/td><td><strong><meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u3053\u306e\u672c\u3092<strong>\u8aad\u307f\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002<\/strong><\/strong><br><em><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">Kono hon o yomimashita.<\/span><\/em><\/td><td><strong><meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u3053\u3061\u3089\u306e\u672c\u3092<strong>\u62dd\u8aad\u3057\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002<\/strong><\/strong><br><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\"><em>Kochira no hon haitokushimashita.<\/em><\/span><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When referring to yourself, you should be humble. When referring to someone in your inner circle, you should humble them too \u2014 because the concept of &#8220;in-group&#8221; stipulates that they&#8217;re part of you too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The kenjougo (\u8b19\u8b72\u8a9e) is used to lower your social status when speaking about yourself. It should be used when you are speaking to someone of higher social rank when describing the actions of you <em>or<\/em> someone of your circle. Like for \u5c0a\u656c\u8a9e, the \u8b19\u8b72\u8a9e substitutes verbs with other forms. Nouns may also change: the word \u4eba, previously mentioned, will become \u8005.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/ja\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/06\/Blog-featured-image-2-1024x536.png\" alt=\"japanese job title keigo\" class=\"wp-image-74660\" width=\"840\" height=\"439\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This is particularly important in the Japanese work environment. When you&#8217;re speaking directly to your manager, you will probably address them in honorific form \u2014 because they&#8217;re socially higher than you. Easy, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, what about when you&#8217;re talking to your company&#8217;s clients, and suddenly need to mention your managers? To refer to them directly, do you use the humble or honorific form?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The answer is humble form. This is because in that moment, your manager is part of your in-group (uchi) and the client is your <em>soto. <\/em>An important thing to know is that you &#8220;raise&#8221; people from your out-group while you lower the peope in your in-group, regardless of the individual&#8217;s status from the beginning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Japanese-Keigo-Conjugation\"><strong>Japanese Keigo Conjugation<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For both honorific and humble styles, as seen previously, certain verbs have set expressions. For the verbs without such set expressions, they obey keigo conjugations. The first rule is the adjunction of the polite prefix &#8220;o&#8221;&nbsp;to the stem of the verb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We often focus on verbs construction and the social relations between a speaker and a listener, but keigo\u00a0covers more than set expressions and situational examples. In particular, Japanese language uses honorific prefixes. Most of you might know that the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/japanese-honorific-prefixes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Japanese honorific<\/a>\u00a0prefixes\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/japanese-honorific-prefixes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>\u304a (o)<\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0<strong>\u3054 (go)<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0can be added to some nouns and verbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When used with a noun, it is preceded by either \u304a (o) or \u3054 (go), but is limited to only nouns which indicate actions (suru verbs). For verb, erase the \u307e\u3059 and add \u306b\u306a\u308b. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table><thead><tr><th><meta charset=\"utf-8\">English<\/th><th>Honorific Form<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Verb<\/td><td><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">\u304a + Verb&nbsp;<s>\u307e\u3059<\/s>&nbsp;(stem form) + <meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u306b\u306a\u308b<\/span><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Noun<\/td><td><strong><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><\/strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-luminous-vivid-orange-color\">\u304a\/\u3054 + Noun + <meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u306b\u306a\u308b<\/span><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u90e8\u9577\u306f\u3044\u3064\u6d77\u5916\u304b\u3089\u304a\u623b\u308a\u306b\u306a\u308a\u307e\u3059\u304b\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u8ab2\u9577\u306f\u304a\u5909\u3048\u306b\u306a\u308a\u307e\u3057\u305f\u3002<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can essentially add <meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u304a (o) or \u3054 (go) to any nouns to transform it into honorific form, but be careful. Adding too many prefixes will make your sentences sound awkward \u2014 we don&#8217;t want you trying tohard, and there are other ways to talk in <em>keigo <\/em>without putting <meta charset=\"utf-8\">\u304a before every object. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, you&#8217;ll most likely encounter these words without realizing that they are nouns with honorific prefixes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th><meta charset=\"utf-8\">English<\/th><th>Honorific Japanese<\/th><th>Romaji<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Tea<\/td><td><span class=\"has-inline-color has-black-color\">\u304a\u8336<\/span><\/td><td>Ocha<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Water<\/td><td><strong><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><\/strong><span class=\"has-inline-color has-black-color\">\u304a\u6c34<\/span><\/td><td>Omizu<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Alcohol<\/td><td>\u304a\u9152<\/td><td>Osake<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Meal<\/td><td>\u3054\u98ef<\/td><td>Gohan<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Order<\/td><td>\u3054\u6ce8\u6587<\/td><td>Gochuumon<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sweets<\/td><td>\u304a\u83d3\u5b50<\/td><td>Okashi<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Time<\/td><td>\u304a\u6642\u9593<\/td><td>Ojikan<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For the humble style, the construction of the verb will be as follows: <strong>\u304a\/\u3054 + stem of the verb + \u3059\u308b<\/strong>. You have certainly heard it before in \u304a+\u9858\u3044+\u3057\u307e\u3059(&#8220;please&#8221;).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The honorific style can also be expressed with what is called the &#8220;easy keigo&#8221; with verbs&nbsp;used in the passive form \u308c\u308b or \u3089\u308c\u308b. Although said to be easier, this form of keigo can be confused with the passive voice and should be used with care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">29 Useful Japanese Keigo Phrases for Work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The first step is understanding that some kanji readings and some words are different depending on if you are casual or polite. The easiest example is the word &#8220;tomorrow&#8221;. You&#8217;ll learn \u660e\u65e5 is read \u3042\u3057\u305f but, as you progress in your Japanese studies, you&#8217;ll quickly encounter the reading \u3042\u3059.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table text-center is-style-stripes\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>English<\/th><th><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Casual Japanese<\/th><th>Keigo&nbsp;words for work<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>Tomorrow<\/strong><\/td><td>\u660e\u65e5\uff08\u3042\u3057\u305f\uff09<\/td><td>\u660e\u65e5\uff08\u3042\u3059\uff09<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>After tomorrow<\/strong><\/td><td>\u660e\u5f8c\u65e5\uff08\u3042\u3055\u3063\u3066\uff09<\/td><td>\u660e\u5f8c\u65e5\uff08\u307f\u3087\u3046\u3054\u306b\u3061\uff09<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>Last night<\/strong><\/td><td>\u6628\u65e5\u306e\u591c<\/td><td>\u6628\u591c \uff08\u3055\u304f\u3084\uff09<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>Tomorrow morning<\/strong><\/td><td> \u660e\u65e5\u306e\u671d<\/td><td>\u660e\u671d \uff08\u307f\u3087\u3046\u3061\u3087\u3046\uff09<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>From tomorrow<\/strong><\/td><td>\u660e\u65e5\u4ee5\u964d<\/td><td>\u5f8c\u65e5 \uff08\u3054\u3058\u3064\uff09<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>This year<\/strong><\/td><td>\u4eca\u5e74<\/td><td>\u672c\u5e74 \uff08\u307b\u3093\u306d\u3093\uff09<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>The other day<\/strong><\/td><td>\u3053\u306e\u9593<\/td><td>\u5148\u65e5 \uff08\u305b\u3093\u3058\u3064\uff09<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>On that day<\/strong><\/td><td> \u305d\u306e\u65e5<\/td><td>\u5f53\u65e5 \uff08\u3068\u3046\u3058\u3064\uff09<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>Last year<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>:<\/strong> \u53bb\u5e74\uff08\u304d\u3087\u306d\u3093\uff09<\/td><td>\u53bb\u5e74\uff08\u3055\u304f\u306d\u3093\uff09<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>Year before last<\/strong><\/td><td> \u4e00\u6628\u5e74\uff08\u304a\u3068\u3068\u3057\uff09<\/td><td>\u4e00\u6628\u5e74\uff08\u3044\u3063\u3055\u304f\u306d\u3093\uff09<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>Soon, shortly<\/strong><\/td><td>\u3082\u3046\u3059\u3050<\/td><td>\u307e\u3082\u306a\u304f<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>Now<\/strong><\/td><td>\u3044\u307e<\/td><td>\u305f\u3060\u3044\u307e<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>Earlier<\/strong><\/td><td>\u524d\u306b<\/td><td>\u4ee5\u524d \uff08\u3044\u305c\u3093\uff09<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>Later<\/strong><\/td><td> \u3042\u3068\u3067<\/td><td>\u5f8c\u307b\u3069 \uff08\u3042\u3068\u307b\u3069\uff09<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>Immediately<\/strong><\/td><td>\u3059\u3050\u306b<\/td><td>\u3055\u3063\u305d\u304f<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>This time, now<\/strong><\/td><td>\u4eca\u5ea6<\/td><td>\u3053\u306e\u305f\u3073<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>Just now<\/strong><\/td><td>\u3055\u3063\u304d<\/td><td>\u5148\u307b\u3069 \uff08\u3055\u304d\u307b\u3069\uff09<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>Where<\/strong><\/td><td>\u3069\u3053<\/td><td>\u3069\u3061\u3089<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>This way<\/strong><\/td><td>\u3053\u3063\u3061<\/td><td>\u3053\u3061\u3089<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>That way<\/strong><\/td><td>\u3042\u3063\u3061<\/td><td>\u3042\u3061\u3089<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>Over there<\/strong><\/td><td>\u305d\u3063\u3061<\/td><td>\u305d\u3061\u3089<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>Which one<\/strong><\/td><td> \u3069\u3063\u3061<\/td><td>\u3069\u3061\u3089<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>Just a minute<\/strong><\/td><td> <a href=\"https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/motto-chotto-kitto\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u3061\u3087\u3063\u3068<\/a><\/td><td>\u5c11\u3005 \uff08\u3057\u3087\u3046\u3057\u3087\u3046\uff09<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>Very, terribl<\/strong>y<\/td><td>\u3068\u3066\u3082<\/td><td>\u5927\u5909 \uff08\u305f\u3044\u3078\u3093\uff09<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>Very, greatly<\/strong><\/td><td>\u3059\u3054\u304f<\/td><td>\u975e\u5e38\u306b \uff08\u3072\u3058\u3087\u3046\u306b\uff09<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>How many, how much<\/strong><\/td><td>\u3069\u306e\u304f\u3089\u3044<\/td><td>\u3044\u304b\u307b\u3069<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>A few, a little:<\/strong><\/td><td> \u5c11\u3057<\/td><td>\u4e9b\u5c11\uff08\u3055\u3057\u3087\u3046\uff09<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>Considerable<\/strong><\/td><td> \u591a\u3044<\/td><td>\u591a\u5927 \uff08\u305f\u3060\u3044\uff09<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><meta charset=\"utf-8\"><strong>About, approximately<\/strong><\/td><td>\uff5e\u3050\u3089\u3044<\/td><td>\uff5e\u307b\u3069<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"When-Should-I-Use-Japanese-Keigo?\"><strong>When Should I Use Japanese Keigo?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, respectful language should be used toward older people, toward distinguished people, and in the workplace. Of course, exceptions exist and that is why keigo is as difficult for native speakers as for learners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The respectful language can be strictly applied in one company or more loose in another. Foreigners often get slack from the Japanese as they do not expect a non-native to master this speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The difficulty also resides in the unknown: a gathering of people you do not know and here you are at loss, not knowing who is eminent, who has your age and who is younger. In some contexts,&nbsp;casual speech is preferred as an ice breaker while Keigo would be considered too distant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"Speaking-Keigo-As-a-Foreigner\">Speaking Keigo As a Foreigner in Japan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While native speakers are expected to use proper keigo (and if they do not, they are seen as unprofessional and will be frowned upon), the same is not always true for non-native speakers. Foreigners are often forgiven for their misuse of keigo and are excused for not having a good command of that high level of Japanese.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That being said, you should do your best to try and learn Japanese keigo. And the best way to master the Japanese honorific is to learn slowly but surely all the ins and out&#8217;s of respectful speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keigo is also widely used in the workplace. Check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/course\/business-japanese-language-course-tokyo\/https:\/\/cotoacademy.com\/course\/business-japanese-language-course-tokyo\/\">business Japanese courses<\/a>&nbsp;and send us an inquiry if you want to know more about Japanese keigo .<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<script>\n\t\t\t\t\t\twindow.hsFormsOnReady = window.hsFormsOnReady || [];\n\t\t\t\t\t\twindow.hsFormsOnReady.push(()=>{\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\thbspt.forms.create({\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tportalId: 8680638,\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tformId: \"75a248bf-df73-46fe-9132-745df7e59bf5\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttarget: \"#hbspt-form-1776732392000-6390874946\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tregion: \"na1\",\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t})});\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hbspt-form\" id=\"hbspt-form-1776732392000-6390874946\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A foreigner&#8217;s guide to Japanese honorific, humble and polite forms. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":74668,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[36,37,39,42,43,44,61,84,133,135,136,140,148,152,164,167,189,194,201,202,205,210,211,212,213,214,217,224,234,236,286,306,344,345,346],"class_list":["post-63093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-japanese-study","tag-best-way-to-study-japanese","tag-business","tag-business-etiquette","tag-business-in-japan","tag-business-in-tokyo","tag-business-japanese","tag-coto-japanese-academy","tag-expat-in-japan","tag-international-student-in-japan","tag-japan-business-culture","tag-japan-expat","tag-japanese","tag-japanese-business-etiquette","tag-japanese-classes","tag-japanese-language","tag-japanese-learning","tag-japanese-school","tag-japanese-student","tag-japanese-words","tag-japanese-language-proficiency-test","tag-jlpt","tag-jlpt-n1","tag-jlpt-n2","tag-jlpt-n3","tag-jlpt-n4","tag-jlpt-n5","tag-jlpt-preparations","tag-job-in-japan","tag-last-minute-jlpt-review","tag-learn-japanese","tag-preparation-for-jlpt","tag-study-japanese","tag-work-in-japan","tag-work-in-tokyo","tag-working-culture-in-japan"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Introduction to Japanese Keigo: Honorific &amp; Humble Form | Coto<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Step by step, you are improving your Japanese. 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