Basic Keigo for Beginners: Japanese Polite Language
You already know the polite form (～ます/～です) and the plain form. In Japan, though, politeness is more than ～ます. There is a full system called 敬語 (keigo) — honorific language with three distinct levels.
Planning part-time work (baito) in Japan? Writing a business email? This article is not theory alone. It is a practical survival guide for using keigo in real situations.
💡 For a deeper dive, visit the Complete Keigo Guide.
1. The Three Pillars of Keigo
| Type | Japanese | Meaning | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 丁寧語 | Teineigo | Polite language | Everyday politeness (～ます/～です) |
| 尊敬語 | Sonkeigo | Respectful language | Elevating someone else’s actions |
| 謙譲語 | Kenjougo | Humble language | Lowering your own actions |
2. Teineigo: What You Already Know!
This is the ～ます and ～です form you have used since Lesson 2. Examples:
| Plain | Teineigo |
|---|---|
| 食べる | 食べます |
| 高い | 高いです |
| 学生だ | 学生です |
3. Basic Sonkeigo: Elevating Others
Special verbs used when talking about the actions of a superior, teacher, or customer:
| Plain | → Sonkeigo | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 行く / 来る | いらっしゃる | Go / Come |
| いる | いらっしゃる | Be / Exist (person) |
| 食べる / 飲む | 召し上がる | Eat / Drink |
| 言う | おっしゃる | Say |
| 見る | ご覧になる | Look / See |
| 知る | ご存知 | Know |
| する | なさる | Do |
Example 1
先生はもういらっしゃいますか？
(Sensei wa mou irasshaimasu ka.)
Has the teacher arrived yet?
Example 2
社長は何とおっしゃいましたか？
(Shachou wa nan to osshaimashita ka.)
What did the director say?
The お/ご～になる Pattern
A regular sonkeigo pattern for other verbs:
Example 3
先生がお書きになりました。
(Sensei ga okaki ni narimashita.)
It was the teacher who wrote it.
4. Basic Kenjougo: Lowering Yourself
| Plain | → Kenjougo | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 行く | 参る | Go |
| 来る | 参る | Come |
| いる | おる | Be (I / we) |
| 食べる / 飲む | いただく | Eat / Drink |
| 言う | 申す | Say |
| 見る | 拝見する | Look / See |
| 知る | 存じる | Know |
| する | いたす | Do |
| もらう | いただく | Receive |
| あげる | 差し上げる | Give |
Example 4
私が参ります。
(Watashi ga mairimasu.)
I will go. (humble)
Example 5
資料を拝見しました。
(Shiryou o haiken shimashita.)
I have looked over the documents. (humble)
5. Keigo at Work: The “Baito Manual” 🏪
If you work part-time at a convenience store or restaurant, you must memorize these “manual keigo” (baito keigo) phrases. They are standard lines repeated thousands of times a day.
A. Greeting & Serving
| Phrase | Meaning | Situation |
|---|---|---|
| いらっしゃいませ！ | Welcome! | When a customer enters. |
| かしこまりました | Understood / Certainly (I’ll do that right away) | When taking an order (more formal than Wakarimashita). |
| 少々お待ちください | Please wait a moment | When fetching an item or checking stock. |
| お待たせいたしました | Sorry to keep you waiting | When returning to the customer (even after only 10 seconds!). |
B. Cash Register Transactions
| Phrase | Meaning | Situation |
|---|---|---|
| お次の方、どうぞ | Next customer, please | Calling the next person in line. |
| ～円になります | That will be … yen | Stating the total. |
| ～円、お預かりします | I received … yen | When accepting cash. |
| ～円のお返しです | Here is … yen in change | When giving change. |
| ありがとうございました | Thank you very much | When the customer leaves. |
💡 Pro tip: Speak clearly and with energy! In a ramen shop, your volume is part of the store’s spirit.
6. Uchi-Soto: Who Is “Us,” Who Is “Them”? 👥
This is the most important concept in Japanese business. The biggest beginner mistake is using sonkeigo (elevating language) for your own boss when speaking to an outside client.
Golden Rules:
- Uchi (inside): Family, close friends, your own company (including your boss).
- Soto (outside): Guests, clients, other companies.
When speaking to an outside person (soto) about your own boss (uchi), you must lower your boss (use kenjougo, or say the name without -san).
Scenario: A client calls looking for your boss (Tanaka-shachou).
- ❌ Wrong: "Tanaka-san wa irasshaimasu." (Mr. Tanaka is here.) -> You elevate your boss in front of a client = rude to the client!
- ✅ Right: "Tanaka wa orimasu." (Tanaka is here.) -> You humble your boss (as part of “uchi”) to respect the client.
Remember: In front of a guest, your boss is a “teammate” whose position is below the guest. Do not say "Tanaka-shachou"; say "Tanaka" (or "Shachou no Tanaka").
7. Simple Business Email Guide 📧
Writing to a professor or a company? Use this template to sound professional.
Opening Line (Required!)
- いつもお世話になっております。
- (Itsumo o-sewa ni natte orimasu.)
- Meaning: "Thank you for your continued support." (The standard opening for about 99% of business emails).
Closing Line (Required!)
- よろしくお願いいたします。
- (Yoroshiku o-negai itashimasu.)
- Meaning: "Thank you in advance / Best regards."
Sample Sick-Leave Email (to a Professor/Boss)
Subject: 欠席のご連絡 (Absence Notice) - [Your Name]
田中先生 (Dear Prof. Tanaka)
いつもお世話になっております。[Your Name] です。 (Thank you for your guidance. This is [Name].)
申し訳ございませんが、熱があるため、本日の授業を欠席させていただきます。 (I am sorry, but because of a fever I will be absent from today’s class.)
ご迷惑をおかけしてすみません。 (Sorry for the inconvenience.)
よろしくお願いいたします。
8. Common Mistakes Clinic 🏥
Avoid these embarrassing blunders!
Case 1: “-sama” for yourself
- ❌ "Watashi wa Septian-sama desu."
- ✅ "Watashi wa Septian desu."
- Why? "-Sama" and "-San" are only for other people. Calling yourself "-sama" sounds arrogant (or like a villainous anime noble).
Case 2: "O-kaeri nasai" to your boss
- ❌ (To your boss) "A, Shachou! O-kaeri nasai!"
- ✅ (To your boss) "A, Shachou! O-tsukare-sama desu!"
- Why? "Okaeri" feels like a family member greeting a spouse or child coming home. At the office, use "Otsukaresama desu" (Thank you for your hard work).
Case 3: Mixing levels
- ❌ "Sensei, ramen o tabemashita ka?" (Still not respectful enough)
- ✅ "Sensei, ramen o meshi-agarimashita ka?"
- Why? When the subject is "Sensei," switch the verb to sonkeigo when you can.
9. Practice
Q1: How do you say "Has the teacher arrived yet?" in sonkeigo?
Answer: 先生はもういらっしゃいますか？
Q2: How do you say "I will go" in kenjougo?
Answer: 参ります。
Q3: What is the difference between いただきます and 召し上がる?
Answer: いただく = kenjougo (humble — "I receive / eat"). 召し上がる = sonkeigo (exalting — "you eat / drink").
10. 10-Second Keigo Checklist Before You Speak
When you feel nervous, run this quick check before you speak:
- Who is the subject of my sentence: me or the other person?
- If the subject is the other person / a superior, use sonkeigo.
- If the subject is me toward a respected party, use kenjougo.
- If you are unsure, use teineigo first as the safe mode.
- Avoid mixing levels inconsistently in one sentence.
Suggested daily practice:
- Take 5 common verbs (行く, 来る, 言う, 食べる, 見る).
- Convert each into teineigo, sonkeigo, and kenjougo.
- Make 1 simple office sentence for each form.
Within a few weeks, your keigo reflexes become much more stable—especially at work, in service roles, and in formal communication.
New Vocabulary
| Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji | Meaning | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 敬語 | けいご | Keigo | Honorific / polite language | Term |
| 社長 | しゃちょう | Shachou | Company president / director | Noun |
| 資料 | しりょう | Shiryou | Documents / materials | Noun |
| 参る | まいる | Mairu | Go / Come (keigo) | Verb |
| 申す | もうす | Mousu | Say (keigo) | Verb |
| 拝見する | はいけんする | Haiken suru | Look / See (keigo) | Verb |
Conclusion
- 丁寧語 = ～ます/～です — the form you already know!
- 尊敬語 = elevates someone else’s actions (いらっしゃる, おっしゃる)
- 謙譲語 = humbles your own actions (参る, 申す)
- Memorize everyday phrases: いただきます, お疲れさまでした, お邪魔します
- For the full treatment, continue to the Keigo Guide →
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頑張って！ (Ganbatte!)