What is the difference between Kenjougo I and Kenjougo II?

Kenjougo I humbles you when your action is directed at a respected person (e.g. 先生に伺う). Kenjougo II is polite about yourself without a specific target (e.g. 東京に参る).

How do Sonkeigo and Kenjougo differ?

Sonkeigo elevates others—the subject is a respected person. Kenjougo humbles the speaker—the subject is you. Both show respect, but from opposite directions.

How do I quickly pick the right Keigo category?

Ask: Who does the action? Respected person → Sonkeigo. Yourself toward a respected person → Kenjougo I. Yourself (general polite) → Kenjougo II. Add です/ます → Teineigo. Soften a noun → Bikago.

Comparing the 5 Keigo Categories: Sonkeigo vs Kenjougo vs Teineigo vs Bikago

“I’ve learned all five Keigo categories, but… when do I use which?” If you’ve asked that, you’re not alone. This article helps you compare the five categories side by side. From here you can pick the right one in each situation.

Overview of the 5 Keigo Categories

#	Category	日本語にほんご	Main Role	Who Is Raised?
1	Sonkeigo	尊敬語そんけいご	Elevate others	Others ↑
2	Kenjougo I	謙譲語けんじょうごI	Humble yourself → raise the target	Action target ↑
3	Kenjougo II	謙譲語けんじょうごII / 丁重語ていちょうご	Polite about yourself	Listener ↑
4	Teineigo	丁寧語ていねいご	Polite to the listener (です/ます)	Listener ↑
5	Bikago	美化語びかご	Soften words	— (speech style)

Mapping the Old 3 → Official 5

Per the 敬語けいごの指針ししん (Chapter 2, Section 1), the old three-type system was not discarded. It was split so each category’s job is clearer.

Old System	Official 5 Categories	Function Note
尊敬語そんけいご	尊敬語そんけいご	Same: elevate others
謙譲語けんじょうご	謙譲語けんじょうごI + 謙譲語けんじょうごII (丁重語ていちょうご)	Split by whether there is a 向むかう先さき
丁寧語ていねいご	丁寧語ていねいご + 美化語びかご	Split: politeness vs softening

With this map, you can read older books and modern materials without term confusion.

One Verb, Five Faces

Watch the same verb change in each category. That’s the best way to see the difference:

"Go" (行いく)

Category	Form	Who Uses It?
Plain	行いく	Casual
丁寧語ていねいご	行いきます	Anyone (basic polite)
尊敬語そんけいご	いらっしゃる	About a boss/customer
謙譲語けんじょうごI	伺うかがう	I → visit a respected person
謙譲語けんじょうごII	参まいる	I go (polite to the listener)

"Say" (言いう)

Category	Form	Who Uses It?
Plain	言いう	Casual
丁寧語ていねいご	言いいます	Anyone (basic polite)
尊敬語そんけいご	おっしゃる	About a boss/teacher
謙譲語けんじょうごI	申もうし上あげる	I say → to a respected person
謙譲語けんじょうごII	申もうす	I say (polite to the listener)

"Eat" (食たべる)

Category	Form	Who Uses It?
Plain	食たべる	Casual
丁寧語ていねいご	食たべます	Anyone (basic polite)
尊敬語そんけいご	召めし上あがる	About a boss/customer
謙譲語けんじょうごI	いただく	I eat (what a respected person gave)
美化語びかご	お食事しょくじ	Soften the word for “meal”

Comparison by Function

Who Is the Subject?

Category	Sentence Subject	Example
尊敬語そんけいご	Someone else (boss, teacher, customer)	先生せんせいがいらっしゃる
謙譲語けんじょうごI	I (action toward a respected person)	先生せんせいに伺うかがう
謙譲語けんじょうごII	I (polite to the listener)	東京とうきょうに参まいる
丁寧語ていねいご	Anyone	行いきます
美化語びかご	— (modifies nouns)	お茶ちゃ

Do You Need a Respected Target?

Category	Needs a Target?	Example
尊敬語そんけいご	✅ Yes — the person elevated	社長しゃちょうが... (president)
謙譲語けんじょうごI	✅ Yes — direction of the action	先生せんせいに... (to a teacher)
謙譲語けんじょうごII	❌ No — polite to the listener only	—
丁寧語ていねいご	❌ No — universal polite form	—
美化語びかご	❌ No — speech style only	—

Formality Levels

From most casual to most formal:

Level 1: 行いく (casual)
Level 2: 行いきます (丁寧語ていねいご)
Level 3: 行いかれる (尊敬語そんけいご - light passive)
Level 4: 参まいります (謙譲語けんじょうごII + です/ます)
Level 5: お出でかけになります (尊敬語そんけいご - お〜になる + ます)
Level 6: いらっしゃいます (尊敬語そんけいご - special verb + ます)

💡 Tip: In business, combine Keigo with ます (Teineigo) for maximum formality. Examples: いらっしゃいます, 参まいります, 伺うかがいます.

Common Mistakes: Wrong Mixes

❌ Sonkeigo for Yourself

Wrong	Right	Why
❌ 私わたしがいらっしゃいます	✅ 私わたしがおります	Sonkeigo is for others, not yourself
❌ 私わたしがおっしゃいました	✅ 私わたしが申もうしました	おっしゃる = someone else speaks
❌ 私わたしが召めし上あがりました	✅ 私わたしがいただきました	召し上がる = someone else eats

❌ Kenjougo for Others

Wrong	Right	Why
❌ 社長しゃちょうが参まいりました	✅ 社長しゃちょうがいらっしゃいました	参る humbles; not for a boss
❌ 部長ぶちょうが申もうしました	✅ 部長ぶちょうがおっしゃいました	申す humbles yourself

❌ Kenjougo I Where Kenjougo II Belongs

Wrong	Right	Why
❌ 弟おとうとの所ところに伺うかがいます	✅ 弟おとうとの所ところに参まいります	弟おとうと (younger brother) is not a high-status target → KI wrong

Situation Guide: Which Category?

Situation	Category to Use
Talking about a boss’s action	尊敬語そんけいご
Talking about my action toward a boss	謙譲語けんじょうごI
Talking politely about my own action	謙譲語けんじょうごII
General polite speech	丁寧語ていねいご (です/ます)
Softening a noun	美化語びかご (お/ご)
Business email to a client	Sonkeigo + KI + KII + Teineigo (all!)
Polite chat in a shop	Teineigo + Bikago
Presentation in a 会議かいぎ (meeting)	KII + Teineigo

Quick Decision Tree (When You Panic)

In interviews or meetings you need an instant call. Use this flow:

Is the subject a respected person?
Yes → Sonkeigo.
Is the subject me, and the action aims at a respected person?
Yes → Kenjougo I.
Is the subject me, no special respected target, but still formal?
Yes → Kenjougo II.
Not sure?
Choose Teineigo as a safe base.
Softening a noun?
Add Bikago as needed.

10-Second Practice Examples

"社長しゃちょうが読よむ"
→ boss as subject → Sonkeigo: お読みになる
"私わたしが社長しゃちょうに説明せつめいする"
→ my action toward a boss → Kenjougo I: ご説明する / ご説明いたす
"私わたしが明日あした大阪おおさかへ行いく"
→ polite report about myself → Kenjougo II: 参る

Comparison by Real Scenarios

1) Receiving Guests

Kenjougo II for the internal side: 担当者たんとうしゃがすぐに参ります。
Note: “参ります” humbles the company-internal side.
Sonkeigo for the guest: 会議室かいぎしつへお入りください。
This elevates the guest’s action.
Staff service (KI/KII): 会議室かいぎしつへご案内いたします。
This humbles the staff action and stays polite to the listener.

2) Reporting to a Boss

About the boss: 部長ぶちょうはすでにご存じです。 (Sonkeigo)
About yourself: 私わたしが確認いたします。 (KII)

3) Writing Email to a Client

Opening: いつもお世話せわになっております。 (Teineigo + business set phrase)
Your action: 資料しりょうをお送りいたします。 (KI/KII)
Client’s action: ご確認かくにんいただけますと幸さいわいです。 (polite request)

Key point: in real communication, categories almost always stack; they rarely stand alone.

Self-Test: 8 Questions

Name the main category for the blue part.

先生せんせいがおっしゃいました。
私わたしが先方せんぽうに伺います。
私わたしは明日あした福岡ふくおかへ参ります。
こちらが新商品です。
お茶をどうぞ。
社長しゃちょうはもうお休みです。
資料しりょうを拝見します。
本件ほんけんは承知いたしました。

Answer key: 1 Sonkeigo, 2 Kenjougo I, 3 Kenjougo II, 4 Teineigo, 5 Bikago, 6 Sonkeigo, 7 Kenjougo I, 8 Kenjougo II.

If you score at least 6/8 without notes, your foundation is solid.

Mastery Targets

After this comparison, aim for these skills: rewrite one message at three levels (Teineigo, Sonkeigo, Kenjougo), explain why you chose each category, and fix wrong sentences in meeting or email context. When those three are stable, you’re ready for advanced business and JLPT materials. Also practice checking subject, action direction, and listener before you pick a verb; those three quick checks cut category errors sharply.

New Vocabulary

Kanji-Kana	Romaji	Meaning	Word Type
向むかう先さき	Mukau saki	Action target / direction	Noun
恩恵おんけい	Onkei	Benefit / favor	Noun
御社おんしゃ	Onsha	Your company (spoken)	Noun
弊社へいしゃ	Heisha	Our company (humble)	Noun
貴社きしゃ	Kisha	Your company (written)	Noun
お宅たく	Otaku	Your home (honorific)	Noun
拙宅せったく	Settaku	My home (humble)	Noun
会議かいぎ	Kaigi	Meeting	Noun

Conclusion

Sonkeigo → for others (bosses, customers, teachers).
Kenjougo I → for me toward a respected person (needs a target).
Kenjougo II → for me, politely (no target required).
Teineigo → universal politeness (です/ます)—the base of all Keigo.
Bikago → soften nouns (お/ご)—speech style.

Golden rule: Sonkeigo = up ↑ | Kenjougo = down ↓ | Teineigo = polite → | Bikago = soft ✨

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