Japanese Keigo: 3 Levels of Polite Speech Guide

Introduction

Keigo is the part of Japanese that makes even native speakers nervous. Job interviews, business emails, talking to your partner's parents — these are all situations where using the wrong level of politeness can leave a bad impression.

For Japanese learners, keigo often feels like learning a whole new language on top of the one you already know. But it doesn't have to be that scary. The system has clear rules, and once you understand the three categories, you can start building your keigo skills step by step.

Quick Answer

Quick Answer: Keigo has three levels. 丁寧語 (teineigo) is basic politeness (です/ます). 尊敬語 (sonkeigo) elevates the other person's actions. 謙譲語 (kenjougo) lowers your own actions. The key is knowing whose actions you're describing.

What Is Keigo?

敬語 (keigo) literally means "respectful language." It's Japan's system of politeness levels used to show respect, humility, and social awareness. Unlike English, where politeness mostly comes from word choice and tone, Japanese has built-in grammatical structures for this purpose.

Keigo isn't just for formal situations. Even casual workplaces use elements of keigo daily. Understanding it is essential for anyone planning to work in Japan, communicate with Japanese professionals, or reach an advanced level of fluency.

There are three main categories:

1. 丁寧語 (teineigo) — Polite language
2. 尊敬語 (sonkeigo) — Honorific/respectful language
3. 謙譲語 (kenjougo) — Humble language

丁寧語 (Teineigo) — Polite Language

This is the keigo you already know. If you've been using です and ます, you've been using teineigo. It's the baseline level of politeness in Japanese.

Key features:

• Sentence endings: です, ます, でございます
• Polite prefixes: お (o-) and ご (go-) before nouns
• Used with anyone you're not close to

Examples:

• これは本です。(Kore wa hon desu.) — This is a book. (polite)
• 明日行きます。(Ashita ikimasu.) — I'll go tomorrow. (polite)
• お水 (omizu) — water (polite)
• ご家族 (gokazoku) — family (polite)

When to use: With strangers, acquaintances, coworkers, and anyone you don't have a close relationship with. This is the "safe default" for most interactions.

尊敬語 (Sonkeigo) — Honorific Language

Sonkeigo raises the other person's actions. You use it to describe what someone of higher status does — your boss, a customer, a teacher, or an elder.

The golden rule: Never use sonkeigo for your own actions. That would be like praising yourself, which defeats the purpose.

Special Sonkeigo Verbs

Some common verbs have completely different honorific forms:

Regular Sonkeigo Patterns

For verbs without special forms, use these patterns:

Pattern 1: お + ます stem + になる

• 読む → お読みになる (oyomi ni naru) — to read (honorific)
• 帰る → お帰りになる (okaeri ni naru) — to return (honorific)
• 使う → お使いになる (otsukai ni naru) — to use (honorific)

Pattern 2: Passive form used as honorific

• 読む → 読まれる (yomareru) — to read (honorific, less formal)
• 来る → 来られる (korareru) — to come (honorific, less formal)

Pattern 1 is more respectful. Pattern 2 is commonly used but can be confused with the passive meaning.

謙譲語 (Kenjougo) — Humble Language

Kenjougo lowers your own actions to show respect to the other person. When you humble yourself, the other person is elevated by contrast.

The golden rule: Never use kenjougo for someone else's actions. That would be lowering them, which is rude.

Special Kenjougo Verbs

Regular Kenjougo Pattern

お + ます stem + する

• 持つ → お持ちする (omochi suru) — to carry (humble)
• 送る → お送りする (ookuri suru) — to send (humble)
• 伝える → お伝えする (otsutae suru) — to convey (humble)

If you're studying for the JLPT N2 or N1, keigo is a must. Rico sensei's JLPT N2 まるわかりブック covers keigo patterns that frequently appear on the exam.

Sonkeigo vs. Kenjougo: The Key Difference

Here's the simplest way to remember:

Same situation, different speakers:

• 社長が召し上がりました。(The president ate.) — sonkeigo, raising the president
• 私がいただきました。(I ate.) — kenjougo, lowering yourself

Common Keigo Expressions for Daily Life

You don't need to memorize hundreds of keigo phrases. Start with these essential ones:

At work:

• お疲れ様です (otsukaresama desu) — Thank you for your hard work
• 承知いたしました (shouchi itashimashita) — Understood (humble)
• 少々お待ちください (shoushou omachi kudasai) — Please wait a moment

In emails:

• お世話になっております (osewa ni natte orimasu) — Thank you for your continued support
• ご確認ください (gokakunin kudasai) — Please confirm
• よろしくお願いいたします (yoroshiku onegai itashimasu) — I look forward to your cooperation (humble)

At restaurants and shops:

• いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase) — Welcome (you'll hear this)
• かしこまりました (kashikomarimashita) — Certainly (staff's response)
• 少々お待ちくださいませ (shoushou omachi kudasaimase) — Please wait a moment (extra polite)

Example Sentences

Common Mistakes

1. Using sonkeigo for yourself — ×「私がいらっしゃいます」is wrong. Use 参ります for your own actions.
2. Using kenjougo for superiors — ×「先生がいただきました」is wrong. Use 召し上がりました for the teacher's actions.
3. Double keigo (二重敬語) — ×「お読みになられる」uses both お〜になる and れる. Pick one pattern.
4. Overusing keigo with friends — Using keigo with close friends creates distance and feels cold. Switch to casual speech with people you're close to.
5. Mixing polite and casual in one sentence — ×「先生がおっしゃったけど、知らない」mixes honorific with casual. Keep the register consistent.

Tips for Speakers of Other Languages

Learning keigo can feel different depending on your native language. Here are specific tips:

For Korean speakers (한국어 화자) Korean has a very similar honorific system (존댓말/반말) with multiple speech levels. Your intuition for when to use polite vs. humble forms transfers directly. The main challenge is learning the specific Japanese keigo vocabulary, not the concept itself. Map Korean 존경어 to sonkeigo and 겸양어 to kenjougo.

For Chinese speakers (中文母语者) Mandarin Chinese doesn't have grammatical honorifics the way Japanese does, though respectful terms like 您 (nín) exist. You'll need to build the habit of choosing different verb forms based on social hierarchy — this is a new grammar concept, not just vocabulary. Start by memorizing the most common verb pairs.

For Vietnamese speakers (Người nói tiếng Việt) Vietnamese has pronouns that change based on age and social relationship (anh, chị, em, etc.), so you understand the concept of adjusting language for social context. Japanese keigo goes further by changing verb forms entirely. Use your existing sensitivity to social hierarchy as a foundation.

For Spanish speakers (Hablantes de español) Spanish distinguishes between tú and usted for formality, but Japanese keigo is far more complex with three distinct levels. The biggest adjustment is that Japanese changes the entire verb, not just the pronoun. Practice recognizing which keigo level is needed before speaking.

For Indonesian speakers (Penutur bahasa Indonesia) Indonesian has formal registers and respectful language (e.g., Bapak/Ibu), but no systematic verb conjugation for politeness. Japanese keigo requires memorizing entirely different verb forms — treat sonkeigo/kenjougo verb pairs like new vocabulary to learn.

Real Learner Insights

Based on common patterns we see among Japanese learners:

• The "aha" moment: Many learners report that keigo suddenly clicks when they stop thinking about grammar rules and start thinking about "whose action am I describing?" If it's the other person's action, use sonkeigo. If it's your own, use kenjougo. This simple question solves 90% of keigo choices.
• Common confusion point: It's completely normal to accidentally use sonkeigo for yourself or kenjougo for your boss. Even Japanese new graduates make this mistake in their first year of work. The key is to catch it and correct yourself — people appreciate the effort.
• What works: Learners who practice keigo through role-play scenarios (imagining conversations with a boss, customer, or teacher) tend to internalize it faster than those who only memorize verb charts.

Practice Tips

1. Start with teineigo perfection — Make sure your です/ます usage is rock solid before tackling sonkeigo and kenjougo.
2. Memorize the special verb pairs — The irregular keigo verbs (召し上がる/いただく, etc.) are used constantly. Flashcards work well here.
3. Practice with role-play scenarios — Imagine you're talking to your boss, a customer, or a teacher. What would you say?
4. Watch business-themed Japanese dramas — Shows like 半沢直樹 are packed with keigo examples. Also check out keigo lessons on YouTube.
5. Write formal emails and get them checked — Our correction service can review your keigo usage and catch mistakes before you send that important email.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I really need to learn keigo? If you plan to work in Japan or interact with Japanese professionals, absolutely. Even outside work, keigo shows cultural awareness and earns respect from native speakers.

Q: Which keigo level should I learn first? Start with teineigo (you probably already know it). Then learn the most common sonkeigo and kenjougo verbs — about 10-15 pairs will cover most daily situations.

Q: Is it rude to not use keigo? It depends on the situation. Not using keigo with a boss or customer would be considered rude. With friends and family, keigo would feel awkward and distant.

Q: How do Japanese people feel when foreigners use keigo? Most Japanese people are genuinely impressed when foreigners use keigo correctly. Even imperfect keigo shows effort and cultural respect, so don't be afraid to try.

Q: What's the difference between です/ます and でございます? でございます is a more formal version of です. It's used in customer service, formal presentations, and very polite situations. For most daily interactions, です is sufficient.

Q: Is keigo similar to Korean honorifics (존댓말)? Yes, very similar in concept. Both systems elevate others or humble yourself through verb changes. Korean speakers often find keigo intuitive because the social logic is nearly identical — the challenge is just learning the Japanese-specific vocabulary.

Q: Do Chinese speakers struggle more with keigo since Chinese doesn't have honorific verb forms? Chinese speakers often need extra practice with keigo because Mandarin Chinese expresses politeness through word choice and tone rather than grammatical verb changes. However, the concept of social hierarchy (長幼有序) is familiar, which helps with understanding when to use each level.

Related Resources

• Watch: 敬語 Keigo Lessons
• りこ先生の【JLPT N2】まるわかりブック
• りこ先生の【JLPT N1】まるわかりブック
• Get feedback on your keigo usage
• Browse our study materials

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