{"id":5544,"date":"2017-09-11T19:49:33","date_gmt":"2017-09-11T19:49:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/?p=5544"},"modified":"2017-09-11T19:50:33","modified_gmt":"2017-09-11T19:50:33","slug":"what-is-japanese-keigo-3-styles-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/what-is-japanese-keigo-3-styles-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Japanese Keigo?-3 styles to know."},"content":{"rendered":"

Since we are discussing Japanese honorifics(mainly polite language), I would like to go back to some basics on this post to explain what the Japanese honorifics (keigo, \u656c\u8a9e\u3001\u3051\u3044\u3054) is all about.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Photo from zoonyzoozoodazoo on flickr.com<\/p><\/div>\n

Japanese honorifics is not all about being polite but also understanding when to use certain form of Keigo(\u656c\u8a9e\u3001\u3051\u3044\u3054). There are 3 forms of Keigo that you would want to know.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1. Sonkeigo (\u5c0a\u656c\u8a9e\u3001\u305d\u3093\u3051\u3044\u3054) = Respectful Language<\/strong>
\n 2. Kenjogo (\u8b19\u8b72\u8a9e\u3001\u3051\u3093\u3058\u3087\u3046\u3054) = Humble Language<\/strong>
\n 3. Teineigo (\u4e01\u5be7\u8a9e\u3001\u3066\u3044\u306d\u3044\u3054)= Polite Language<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To keep things simple, above is all the basic definition of each form that you need to know. Sonkeigo is for respecting others, while you talk to someone who is older or mainly customers. In customer service environment, this form is used the most. You almost can’t communicate with any customers without using some form of Sonkeigo.<\/p>\n

Kenjogo is mainly used to talk about yourself, and Teineigo is the one with “desu” and “masu”that I explained in a different post.<\/p>\n

With this in mind, I thought I would explain to you how each verb changes as we change our form of Keigo from 1 through 3 above.<\/p>\n

Let’s focus on these 3 verbs to see how the verb changes as we change the style\/form of Keigo.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Buy (Kau, \u8cb7\u3046\u3001\u304b\u3046)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\u5c0a\u656c\u8a9e><\/td>\n<\u8b19\u8b72\u8a9e><\/td>\n<\u4e01\u5be7\u8a9e><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u304a\u6c42\u3081\u306b\u306a\u308b<\/td>\n\u8cb7\u308f\u305b\u3066\u3044\u305f\u3060\u304f<\/td>\n\u8cb7\u3044\u307e\u3059<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u304a\u3082\u3068\u3081\u306b\u306a\u308b<\/td>\n\u304b\u308f\u305b\u3066\u3044\u305f\u3060\u304f<\/td>\n\u304b\u3044\u307e\u3059<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Omotomeni naru<\/td>\nKawasete itdaku<\/td>\nKai masu<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

1.If you buy this set today, you will save 20%.<\/p>\n

Kochirano set o kyo omotome itadaku to 20% off to narimasu.<\/p>\n

\u3053\u3061\u3089\u306e\u3000\u30bb\u30c3\u30c8\u3092\u3000\u4eca\u65e5\u3000\u304a\u6c42\u3081\u306b\u306a\u308a\u307e\u3059\u3068\u3001\uff12\uff10\u3000\u30d1\u30fc\u30bb\u30f3\u30c8\u3000\u30aa\u30d5\u3000\u3068\u3000\u306a\u308a\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff08\u3053\u3061\u3089\u306e\u3000\u305b\u3063\u3068\u3000\u3092\u3000\u304d\u3087\u3046\u3000\u304a\u3082\u3068\u3081\u306b\u306a\u308a\u307e\u3059\u3068\u3001\uff12\uff10\u3000\u3071\u30fc\u305b\u3093\u3068\u3000\u304a\u3075\u3000\u3068\u3000\u306a\u308a\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff09<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. Let me buy this set.<\/p>\n

Kono set o kawasete itadakimasu.<\/p>\n

\u3053\u306e\u3000\u30bb\u30c3\u30c8\u3092\u3000\u8cb7\u308f\u305b\u3066\u3000\u3044\u305f\u3060\u304d\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff08\u3053\u306e\u3000\u305b\u3063\u3068\u3092\u3000\u304b\u308f\u305b\u3066\u3000\u3044\u305f\u3060\u304d\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff09<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3. I will buy the set.<\/p>\n

Sono set kaimasu.<\/p>\n

\u305d\u306e\u3000\u30bb\u30c3\u30c8\u3000\u8cb7\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff08\u305d\u306e\u3000\u305b\u3063\u3068\u3000\u304b\u3044\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff09<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Go\u00a0 (iku, \u884c\u304f\u3001\u3044\u304f)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\u5c0a\u656c\u8a9e><\/td>\n<\u8b19\u8b72\u8a9e><\/td>\n<\u4e01\u5be7\u8a9e><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u3044\u3089\u3063\u3057\u3083\u308b<\/td>\n\u4f3a\u3046<\/td>\n\u53c2\u308a\u307e\u3059<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n\u3046\u304b\u304c\u3046<\/td>\n\u307e\u3044\u308a\u307e\u3059<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Irassharu<\/td>\nUkagau<\/td>\nMairi masu<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1.Please come to our house tonight.<\/p>\n

Konya uchi e irasshatte kudasai.<\/p>\n

\u4eca\u591c\u3001\u3046\u3061\u3078\u3000\u3044\u3089\u3063\u3057\u3083\u3063\u3066\u3000\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044\u3002\uff08\u3053\u3093\u3084\u3000\u3046\u3061\u3078\u3000\u3044\u3089\u3063\u3057\u3083\u3063\u3066\u3000\u304f\u3060\u3055\u3044\u3002\uff09<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2.Can I come over to your place?<\/p>\n

Sochira e ukagattemo iidesuka?<\/p>\n

\u305d\u3061\u3089\u3078\u3000\u4f3a\u3063\u3066\u3082\u3044\u3044\u3067\u3059\u304b\uff1f\uff08\u305d\u3061\u3089\u3078\u3000\u3046\u304b\u304c\u3063\u3066\u3082\u3044\u3044\u3067\u3059\u304b\uff1f\uff09<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3.I will come over to your place.<\/p>\n

Sochira e mairi masu.<\/p>\n

\u305d\u3061\u3089\u3078\u3000\u53c2\u308a\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff08\u305d\u3061\u3089\u3078\u3000\u307e\u3044\u308a\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff09<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Go home (kaeru, \u00a0\u5e30\u308b\u3001\u304b\u3048\u308b)<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\u5c0a\u656c\u8a9e><\/td>\n<\u8b19\u8b72\u8a9e><\/td>\n<\u4e01\u5be7\u8a9e><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u304a\u5e30\u308a\u306b\u306a\u308b<\/td>\n\u304a\u3044\u3068\u307e\u3059\u308b<\/td>\n\u5e30\u308a\u307e\u3059<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u304a\u304b\u3048\u308a\u306b\u306a\u308b<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u304b\u3048\u308a\u307e\u3059<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Okaeri ni naru<\/td>\nOitoma suru<\/td>\nKaeri masu<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

1.What time are you going home today?<\/p>\n

Kyo wa nanji ni okaeri ni narare masuka?<\/p>\n

\u4eca\u65e5\u306f\u3000\u4f55\u6642\u306b\u3000\u304a\u5e30\u308a\u306b\u3000\u306a\u3089\u308c\u307e\u3059\u304b\uff1f\uff08\u304d\u3087\u3046\u306f\u3000\u306a\u3093\u3058\u306b\u3000\u304a\u5e30\u308a\u306b\u3000\u306a\u3089\u308c\u307e\u3059\u304b\uff1f\uff09<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. I am going home now.<\/p>\n

Soro soro oitoma shimasu.<\/p>\n

\u305d\u308d\u305d\u308d\u3000\u304a\u3044\u3068\u307e\u3000\u3057\u307e\u3059\u3002<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3. I will be going home tomorrow.<\/p>\n

Asu ie ni kaeri masu.<\/p>\n

\u660e\u65e5\u3000\u5bb6\u306b\u3000\u5e30\u308a\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff08\u3042\u3059\u3000\u3044\u3048\u306b\u3000\u304b\u3048\u308a\u307e\u3059\u3002\uff09<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Hope you got an idea on how the verb changes from one from to another as you show respect, humbleness, or politeness. It is hard to use these effectively. It all depends on who you are talking to. I think the best way is to learn Teineigo first and mix in some of the Sonkeigo and Kenjogo based on your situation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

Since we are discussing Japanese honorifics(mainly polite language), I would like to go back to some basics on this post to explain what the Japanese honorifics (keigo, \u656c\u8a9e\u3001\u3051\u3044\u3054) is all about.   Japanese honorifics is not all about being polite but also understanding when to use certain form of Keigo(\u656c\u8a9e\u3001\u3051\u3044\u3054). There are 3 forms of…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":5558,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5544","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-grammar"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5544"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5544\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5558"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5544"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/japanese\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}