Japanese Keigo (Honorific Language) Explained: Sonkeigo, Kenjougo, Teineigo

Introduction & Overview

敬語けいご (Keigo) is the system of honorific language in Japanese used to show respect, politeness, and social awareness. While it may seem intimidating at first, understanding keigo is a gradual journey that matches your overall Japanese proficiency.

Beginner (N5-N4)

Focus on recognition and basic Desu/Masu forms. Don't stress about production yet.

Intermediate (N3)

Start using basic respectful and humble forms. Understand the 3 types.

Advanced (N2-N1)

Understand subtle social dynamics, business calibration, and fluent switching.

Level 0 Absolute Beginner Foundation

Start Here: What Makes Japanese Polite?

If you're brand new, focus on these first:

です (desu) = polite "to be"
ます (masu) = polite verb ending

Understand these forms before worrying about advanced Keigo!

Your First Keigo Words

You likely already know some Keigo without realizing it:

Phrase	Meaning	Type
ありがとうございます	Thank you	丁寧語ていねいご (Polite)
いらっしゃいませ	Welcome (to a store)	尊敬語そんけいご (Respectful)
お名前なまえ	Your name	美化語びかご (Beautified)

Key Definitions & Concepts

Keigo operates on three axes: respect for the subject, humility about oneself, and politeness to the listener.

内うち (Uchi) - In-group

Your company, family, or team. You lower yourself and your group when speaking to outsiders.

外そと (Soto) - Out-group

Customers, other companies, or strangers. You elevate them regardless of their actual rank relative to you.

The Three Types of Keigo

1尊敬語そんけいご (Sonkeigo) - Respectful

Purpose: Elevate the actions of someone you respect (customers, supervisors).

Pattern: Makes the other person's actions sound honorable.

お + Verb Stem + になる (e.g., お読よみになる)
Special Verbs (e.g., いらっしゃる instead of 行いく)
Passive Form (e.g., 言いわれる for "say")

Example: "The teacher is coming."
Plain:先生せんせいが来くる。
Keigo:先生せんせいがいらっしゃいます。

2謙譲語けんじょうご (Kenjōgo) - Humble

Purpose: Lower your own (or your in-group's) actions to show respect to the listener.

Pattern: Makes your actions humble.

お + Verb Stem + する (e.g., お持もちする)
Special Verbs (e.g., 参まいる instead of 行いく)

Example: "I will go."
Plain:私わたしが行いく。
Keigo:私わたしが参まいります。

3丁寧語ていねいご (Teineigo) - Polite

Purpose: General politeness to the listener.

Pattern: Standard polite sentence endings.

Verb + ます (e.g., 行いきます)
Noun/Adj + です (e.g., 学生がくせいです)

Identification & Decision Guide

Not sure which form to use? Follow this decision logic.

Keigo Decision Tree

Step 1: Whose action is it?

My action (or my group's): Consider KENJŌGO (Humble)

Respected person's action: Consider SONKEIGO (Respectful)

Neutral/General: Use TEINEIGO (Polite)

Step 2: What is the social context?

Customer/Client: Strong Keigo required

Colleague: Mild Keigo / Teineigo

Friend: No Keigo (Casual)

Step 3: Uchi vs Soto Check

Scenario: Speaking to a Client about your Boss.
Your Boss is "Uchi" (In-group) relative to the Client.
Use HUMBLE for your Boss.
Do NOT use Respectful forms for your Boss here.

The Frequency Field Guide

You don't need to memorize the dictionary. 80% of Keigo encounters revolve around these specific high-frequency phrases. Here is where you will actually hear them.

Top 尊敬語そんけいご (Respectful) Phrases

Phrase	Meaning	Where you hear it
少々しょうしょうお待まちください	Please wait a moment	Restaurants, Banks, Reception Desks
何なにになさいますか	What will you have/do?	Servers taking your order at a cafe
ご覧らんください	Please look at this	Museums, Train advertisements, Store displays
ご注意ちゅういください	Please be careful	Train platforms (announcements)

Top 謙譲語けんじょうご (Humble) Phrases

Phrase	Meaning	Where you use it
承知しょうちいたしました	I understand / Certainly	Confirming an order or instruction from a boss
お世話せわになっております	Thank you for your support	Every business email or phone call opening
頂いただきます	I receive (eat)	Before meals, or accepting a gift
と申もうします	My name is...	Self-introductions in formal settings

Common Patterns & Examples

Special Honorific Verbs

The most common verbs have entirely different words for each level.

Meaning	Plain	Sonkeigo (Respect)	Kenjōgo (Humble)
To do	する (suru)	なさる (nasaru)	致いたす (itasu)
To go	行いく (iku)	いらっしゃる	参まいる (mairu)
To eat	食たべる (taberu)	召めし上あがる	頂いただく
To say	言いう (iu)	おっしゃる	申もうす (mōsu)
To see	見みる (miru)	ご覧らんになる	拝見はいけんする

Example Sentences

To a Customer (Sonkeigo)

お客様きゃくさま、どちらからいらっしゃいましたか。

Customer, where did you come from?

To a Client about Yourself (Kenjōgo)

明日あした、御社おんしゃに伺うかがいます。

Tomorrow, I will visit your company.

Complex: Speaking about Boss to Client

社長しゃちょうの田中たなかはただいま外出がいしゅつしております。

President Tanaka is currently out of the office.

Note: Even though Tanaka is president, he is "uchi", so we use humble "oru" instead of respectful "irassharu".

The Gradient of Requests

Many learners rely on 〜てください (Te-kudasai). While polite, it is still a command ("Please do X"). In business, we often prefer **indirection**.

Politeness Level	Japanese Phrase	Nuance
Standard	確認かくにんしてください。 Kakunin shite kudasai.	Please check this. (Direct)
Polite	確認かくにんしていただけますか。 Kakunin shite itadakemasu ka.	Could I receive the favor of you checking?
Advanced	確認かくにんしていただければ幸さいわいです。 ~ itadakereba saiwai desu.	I would be happy if you could check this. (Non-binding)

The "Lubricant" of Business: Cushion Words

Perfect grammar can still sound rude if it is too direct. Cushion Words (クッション言葉くっしょんことば) soften the impact of requests or refusals.

When Making a Request

恐おそれ入いりますが...(Osoreirimasu ga...)"I am terribly sorry to impose, but..."
お手数てすうをおかけしますが...(Otesū o okake shimasu ga...)"I know this is a burden, but..."

When Refusing/Disagreeing

あいにくですが...(Ainiku desu ga...)"Unfortunately..."
申もうし上あげにくいのですが...(Mōshiagenikui no desu ga...)"It is difficult for me to say this, but..."

Advanced Deep Dives (N2-N1)

1. Keigo Density & Social Calibration

The "right" amount of keigo varies. Too much can be sarcastic or create unwanted distance.

Low (Colleague):課長かちょう、行いきますか。(Title + Teineigo)
Medium (Boss):部長ぶちょう、ご出席しゅっせきなさいますか。(Sonkeigo verb)
High (President/VIP):社長しゃちょう、ご出席しゅっせきされますでしょうか。(Multiple layers, passive, hedges)

2. Bikago (Beautification Language)

Not all お (o) / ご (go) prefixes indicate respect. Some just refine the language.

Test: Can you use it for your own item?

私わたしのお弁当べんとう (My boxed lunch) → Bikago (OK)
私わたしのお名前なまえ (My name) → Sonkeigo (Wrong)

3. The "Sasete Itadaku" Controversy

Structure: Causative + Humble Receive (I receive permission to do...).

Don't Overuse!

Only use when you genuinely need/have permission.

説明せつめいさせていただきます (I'll explain - permission irrelevant)

本日ほんじつは休やすませていただきます (I will take off - requires permission)

4. Spoken vs. Written Keigo

In emails and formal documents, certain words change entirely from their spoken equivalents. Using spoken Keigo in an email can look childish.

MeaningSpoken (Hanasikotoba)Written (Kakikotoba)
Today今日きょう (Kyō)本日ほんじつ (Honjitsu)
Tomorrow明日あした (Ashita)明みょう日にち (Myōnichi)
Laterあとで (Atode)後のちほど (Nochihodo)
Sorryすみません (Sumimasen)申もうし訳わけございません

Meaning	Spoken (Hanasikotoba)	Written (Kakikotoba)
Today	今日きょう (Kyō)	本日ほんじつ (Honjitsu)
Tomorrow	明日あした (Ashita)	明みょう日にち (Myōnichi)
Later	あとで (Atode)	後のちほど (Nochihodo)
Sorry	すみません (Sumimasen)	申もうし訳わけございません

Situational Case Studies

Keigo is situational. What works in one room fails in another. Here are two critical scenarios where mistakes are common.

Case Study 1: Answering the Phone

In casual life, you answer with "Moshi Moshi". In business, this is considered rude.

Improper (Rude)

「もしもし、田中たなかです。」

"Moshi moshi" is for ghosts or bad connections, not clients.

Proper (Business)

「はい、株式会社かぶしきがいしゃ[社名しゃめい]の田中たなかでございます。」

Use "De gozaimasu" (Humble "to be") immediately.

Case Study 2: The Apology Hierarchy

"Sumimasen" is often too light for business errors. Use the correct weight for the situation.

Light
失礼しつれいいたしました (Shitsurei itashimashita)
For small blunders (bumping into someone, small typo).
Standard
申もうし訳わけありません (Mōshiwake arimasen)
Standard business apology. Literally "I have no excuse."
Heavy
申もうし訳わけございません (Mōshiwake gozaimasen)
Very formal. Used for serious errors or to high-value clients.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake: Humble form for the Customer

お客様きゃくさまが申もうしました。(The customer said [humble])

お客様きゃくさまがおっしゃいました。

Reason: Never humble the out-group.

Mistake: Double Keigo

お召めし上あがりになられる

召めし上あがる OR お食たべになる

Reason: Don't stack multiple honorific markers on one verb.

Mistake: Wrong "Desu" with Friends

(To friend) どこに行いきますか。

どこ行いく？

Reason: Over-politeness creates distance in friendships.

"Manual Keigo" (Baito Keigo)

If you live in Japan, you will hear phrases at convenience stores (conbini) that are technically grammatically incorrect, yet widely used. These are known as "Manual Keigo" (from employee manuals).

1. The "Transformation" Form

1000円えんになります (1000-en ni narimasu)

Lit: "It will become 1,000 yen."

1000円えんでございます

Why? Unless the money is physically transforming, use "desu/gozaimasu".

2. The "Direction" Form

お席せきの方ほう、ご案内あんないします

Lit: "I will guide you toward the direction of the seat."

お席せきへご案内あんないします

Why? "No hou" (Direction of) is vague. Use strict particles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I need to learn Keigo right now (as a beginner)?

No! Focus on standard Desu/Masu first. Keigo builds on that foundation. Just learn to recognize common phrases like "Irasshaimase".

Q: What if I make a mistake?

Japanese people are generally very forgiving with learners. A simple "Sumimasen, Nihongo wo benkyou shiteimasu" (Sorry, I'm studying Japanese) goes a long way.

Q: Can I use Keigo with friends?

Generally no, unless you are joking or meeting their parents. It signals "I want to keep this relationship professional/distant".