Honorific and humble language (sonkeigo・kenjougo)

Sonkeigo (honorific form)

Sonkeigo (尊敬語, そんけいご) is honorific language used to elevate the actions, state, or possessions of the person being respected, for example a teacher, a superior, or a listener of higher status. The speaker does not lower himself or herself in this form; the other person is the one being elevated. Sonkeigo is used when the subject of the sentence is the person being respected.

There are two main ways to form sonkeigo.

• Special verbs (特別な動詞). Some verbs have their own honorific forms that must be memorized:
• 召し上がる(めしあがる, to eat or drink respectfully) — honorific form of 食べる(たべる, to eat) and 飲む(のむ, to drink). 例) お客様、どうぞ召し上がってください。
• いらっしゃる(to come, go, or be present, honorific) — honorific form of いる, 行く, and 来る. 例) 社長は来週、大阪にいらっしゃいます。
• なさる(to do, honorific) — honorific form of する. 例) 先生は毎朝、ジョギングをなさいます。
• おっしゃる(to say, honorific) — honorific form of 言う(いう, to say). 例) 部長がおっしゃったことを、メモしておいてください。
• ご覧になる(to look at or see, honorific) — honorific form of 見る(みる, to see). 例) 先生はこの映画をもうご覧になりましたか。

• Pattern お＋ます形＋になる (お〜になる). The ます stem of a regular verb is prefixed with お and followed by になります or になりました, for example お帰りになる (to go home) and お読みになる (to read). This pattern is used for verbs that do not have a special honorific form. If the sentence has an object particle such as を, that particle is placed before the お〜に part. Adverbs such as もう (already) are also placed before the お〜に part. 例) 社長は、午前中にお出かけになりました。

Points to note:

• Plain forms such as 食べました or 来ました contain no honorific element, so they are not suitable for a person being respected.
• Humble forms such as いただきます, まいりました, and いたしました must not be used for the actions of a person being respected.
• The ending でしょうか only adds politeness and does not raise the status of the person being respected.
• The させる form is causative (making or having someone do something), not an honorific form.
• In questions to a teacher or superior, the listener's actions are asked about with honorific forms. 例) 先生、週末は何をなさいますか。