Honorific Language Introduction in Japanese

Overview

Keigo (敬語) is the Japanese system of honorific language, and understanding it is one of the most significant milestones in your B1 journey. Keigo is not merely about politeness -- it is a structured system that reflects social relationships, hierarchy, and the speaker's position relative to the listener and the person being discussed.

Japanese honorific language has three main categories: sonkeigo (尊敬語, respectful language that elevates others), kenjougo (謙譲語, humble language that lowers the speaker), and teineigo (丁寧語, polite language using ます/です). You already know teineigo from A1. At B1, you begin working with sonkeigo and kenjougo, which transform how you interact in professional, formal, and social contexts.

Keigo is essential for workplaces, customer service, formal events, and interactions with people you do not know well. While younger Japanese speakers sometimes use simplified forms, keigo remains deeply embedded in Japanese society and is expected in many situations.

How It Works

The three types of keigo

Type	Japanese	Function	Direction
Respectful (sonkeigo)	尊敬語	Elevates the listener or a third person	Speaker → up to others
Humble (kenjougo)	謙譲語	Lowers the speaker's own actions	Speaker → down about self
Polite (teineigo)	丁寧語	General politeness (ます, です)	Neutral politeness level

When to use which type

Situation	Type	Why
Describing what your boss does	Sonkeigo	Elevate the boss's actions
Describing what you do for your boss	Kenjougo	Lower your own actions
General polite conversation	Teineigo	Baseline politeness
Talking about your company to outsiders	Kenjougo	Your company is "your side"
Talking about the client's company	Sonkeigo	The client is "their side"

Key concept: uchi (内) vs. soto (外)

Concept	Meaning	Keigo behavior
内 (uchi)	In-group (self, family, company)	Use humble language
外 (soto)	Out-group (clients, strangers, superiors)	Use respectful language

When speaking to someone outside your group about someone inside your group, use humble forms even for your boss: 部長の田中は今外出しております (Director Tanaka is currently out -- humble).

Overview of special keigo verbs

Plain	Sonkeigo (respectful)	Kenjougo (humble)
いる/ある	いらっしゃる	おる
行く	いらっしゃる	参る
来る	いらっしゃる / お見えになる	参る
食べる	召し上がる	いただく
飲む	召し上がる	いただく
言う	おっしゃる	申す
する	なさる	いたす
見る	ご覧になる	拝見する
知る	ご存じ	存じる
もらう	--	いただく
あげる	--	差し上げる
くれる	くださる	--

Systematic keigo patterns

Sonkeigo pattern: お/ご + verb stem + になる

• 読む → お読みになる (read -- respectful)
• 帰る → お帰りになる (go home -- respectful)

Kenjougo pattern: お/ご + verb stem + する

• 持つ → お持ちする (carry -- humble)
• 伝える → お伝えする (convey -- humble)

Examples in Context

Japanese	English	Note
先生がいらっしゃいます。	The teacher is here.	Sonkeigo for いる
私が参ります。	I will go.	Kenjougo for 行く
ございます。	(Polite form of あります)	Teineigo
お名前は何とおっしゃいますか？	What is your name?	Sonkeigo for 言う
社長はお帰りになりました。	The president has gone home.	Sonkeigo pattern
お荷物をお持ちします。	I'll carry your luggage.	Kenjougo pattern
どうぞお召し上がりください。	Please eat.	Sonkeigo for 食べる
田中と申します。	My name is Tanaka.	Kenjougo for 言う
何かご存じですか。	Do you know something?	Sonkeigo for 知る
資料を拝見しました。	I looked at the documents.	Kenjougo for 見る

Common Mistakes

Using sonkeigo for your own actions

• Wrong: 私がいらっしゃいます。
• Right: 私が参ります。 or 私がおります。
• Why: Sonkeigo elevates others. Using it for yourself sounds bizarre -- like calling yourself "Your Majesty."

Using kenjougo for the listener's actions

• Wrong: 先生は何時に参りますか。
• Right: 先生は何時にいらっしゃいますか。
• Why: Kenjougo humbles the speaker. Using it for the listener's actions lowers them, which is disrespectful.

Mixing keigo levels inconsistently

• Wrong: 社長がいらっしゃって、飯を食った。 (honorific then very casual)
• Right: 社長がいらっしゃって、お食事を召し上がりました。
• Why: Keigo should be consistent within a conversation. Sudden shifts in formality level sound jarring and disrespectful.

Double honorifics

• Wrong: お召し上がりになる
• Right: 召し上がる or お食べになる
• Why: Special keigo verbs already contain the honorific meaning. Adding the お～になる pattern on top creates redundancy (二重敬語), which is considered incorrect in standard grammar.

Usage Notes

Keigo proficiency is one of the strongest markers of Japanese language sophistication. Even native speakers sometimes make mistakes with keigo, especially in formal business settings. Do not be discouraged if it feels difficult -- it is genuinely one of the hardest aspects of Japanese for everyone.

Modern Japanese is gradually simplifying some keigo patterns. In casual workplaces, abbreviated forms are common. However, customer-facing roles, formal emails, and business meetings still require proper keigo.

The uchi/soto distinction is perhaps the most culturally important aspect. When calling a client, you would refer to your own boss with humble language (部長の田中はただいま外出しております), even though you would use respectful language when speaking directly to your boss.

Practice Tips

• Start by memorizing the special keigo verb pairs (いらっしゃる/参る, おっしゃる/申す, etc.). These are high-frequency and will immediately improve your formal Japanese.
• Practice role-playing business phone calls where you need to use humble language about your colleagues and respectful language about the caller.
• Watch Japanese business dramas (like "半沢直樹") and pay attention to how characters switch between keigo levels depending on who they are speaking to.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Polite Form ます -- teineigo is the foundation upon which sonkeigo and kenjougo are built
• Next steps: Respectful Language (尊敬語) -- detailed study of sonkeigo forms and usage
• Next steps: Humble Language (謙譲語) -- detailed study of kenjougo forms and usage