Japanese Keigo
Master Formal & Polite Speech
Japanese Keigo
Master Formal & Polite Speech
Japanese has a secret that textbooks don't tell you about: the language you learn in your first year isn't the language people actually use in professional settings. In classrooms and anime, you hear casual speech and basic polite forms (です/ます). But step into a Japanese office, a customer service counter, or a formal dinner, and you'll encounter an entirely different register — 敬語 (keigo), the Japanese honorific language system.
Keigo isn't just "polite Japanese." It's a complete parallel vocabulary and grammar system that changes verb forms, pronouns, and even sentence structure depending on who you're speaking to and who you're speaking about. It sounds intimidating. But here's the good news: you don't need to master all of keigo to function in Japanese. Start with the foundations, learn what you need for your specific situation, and build from there.
This guide breaks down the three types of keigo, shows you exactly when to use each, and gives you practical phrases for professional and formal situations. If you're building your Japanese from the beginning, start with our hiragana and katakana guide first, and for the full learning roadmap, see our complete guide to learning Japanese.
What Is Keigo and Why Does It Exist?
Keigo (敬語, literally "respectful language") is the Japanese system of honorific speech. It exists because Japanese culture places enormous importance on social relationships — who is senior, who is junior, who is inside your group, and who is outside it. The language encodes these relationships in every sentence.
Three types of keigo:
- 丁寧語 (teineigo) — polite language. The です/ます form you learn as a beginner. This is your foundation.
- 尊敬語 (sonkeigo) — respectful language. Elevates the actions of the person you're speaking to or about (bosses, customers, elders).
- 謙譲語 (kenjōgo) — humble language. Lowers your own actions to show respect to the other person.
Why does this matter? In Japanese society, using the wrong level of politeness can create awkwardness, offend someone, or mark you as inexperienced. The good news: Japanese people don't expect foreigners to master keigo immediately. Using basic teineigo correctly shows respect and effort. But if you want to work in a Japanese company, interact with clients, or navigate formal situations, you'll need to go beyond です/ます.
Teineigo: The Polite Foundation
Teineigo (丁寧語) is the polite Japanese you start learning from day one. It's the です (desu) and ます (masu) form — the first "polite" register most textbooks teach.
How teineigo works. Instead of the casual 食べる (taberu, "eat"), you say 食べます (tabemasu). Instead of だ (da, "is"), you say です (desu). Instead of する (suru, "do"), you say します (shimasu). These are the polite equivalents of casual verb endings.
When teineigo is sufficient. For most daily interactions in Japan, teineigo is all you need. Talking to strangers, ordering at restaurants, asking for directions, chatting with acquaintances — teineigo is appropriate in all of these situations. If you're a foreigner working in Japan, teineigo will serve you well in most workplace interactions with colleagues.
Transitioning from casual to polite. Every Japanese verb has a teineigo equivalent. The conversion is systematic:
- Group 1 verbs: 書く (kaku) → 書きます (kakimasu), 話す (hanasu) → 話します (hanashimasu)
- Group 2 verbs: 食べる (taberu) → 食べます (tabemasu), 見る (miru) → 見ます (mimasu)
- Group 3 verbs: する (suru) → します (shimasu), 来る (kuru) → 来ます (kimasu)
Master teineigo before attempting sonkeigo or kenjōgo. It's the foundation everything else builds on, and it's sufficient for 80% of situations you'll encounter.
Sonkeigo: Respectful Language
Sonkeigo (尊敬語) elevates the actions of the person you're speaking to or about. Use it when talking about your boss's actions, a customer's requests, or an elder's activities. The effect is: "Your actions are so respectable that I use special, elevated language to describe them."
Key verb transformations:
- する (suru, "do") → なさる (nasaru)
- 食べる (taberu, "eat") → 召し上がる (meshiagaru)
- 行く (iku, "go") → いらっしゃる (irassharu) or お越しになる (okoshi ni naru)
- 見る (miru, "see") → ご覧になる (goran ni naru)
- 言う (iu, "say") → おっしゃる (ossharu)
- いる (iru, "be/exist") → いらっしゃる (irassharu)
Common sonkeigo patterns. The most versatile sonkeigo pattern is お + verb stem + です/になります:
- お待ちです (omachi desu) — "is waiting" (respectful)
- お呼びになります (oyobi ni narimasu) — "will call" (respectful)
- お分かりになります (owakari ni narimasu) — "understands" (respectful)
When to use sonkeigo. In customer service, when referring to the customer's actions: いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase, "welcome") is sonkeigo. In the workplace, when referring to your boss or senior colleagues' actions. When speaking to someone significantly senior to you about their activities.
Kenjōgo: Humble Language
Kenjōgo (謙譲語) does the opposite of sonkeigo — it lowers your own actions to show respect. The logic: "I humble myself by using special, lowered language to describe my own actions, because you are so respectable."
Key verb transformations:
- する (suru, "do") → いたす (itasu)
- 行く (iku, "go") → 参る (mairu)
- 言う (iu, "say") → 申す (mōsu)
- 見る (miru, "see") → 拝見する (haiken suru)
- 食べる (taberu, "eat") → いただく (itadaku)
- もらう (morau, "receive") → いただく (itadaku)
- 知る (shiru, "know") → 存じる (zonjiru)
Common kenjōgo patterns. The most versatile pattern is お + verb stem + する/いたします:
- お待ちします (omachi shimasu) — "I will wait" (humble)
- お電話いたします (odenwa itashimasu) — "I will call" (humble)
- お問い合わせください (otoiase kudasai) — "please contact us" (humble + respectful)
When to use kenjōgo. When talking about your own actions to a superior or customer. When writing business emails. When answering phones in a professional setting. The key principle: use sonkeigo for the other person's actions, kenjōgo for your own.
Keigo in the Workplace
If you're working in a Japanese company or interacting with Japanese business partners, keigo isn't optional — it's expected. Here are the essential workplace keigo phrases you'll use daily.
Phone phrases:
- お電話ありがとうございます (odenwa arigatō gozaimasu) — "Thank you for calling"
- 少々お待ちください (shōshō omachi kudasai) — "Please wait a moment"
- お取り次ぎします (otoritsugi shimasu) — "I will connect you" (humble)
- 恐れ入ります (osore irimasu) — "Excuse me / I'm sorry to bother you"
- ご伝言をお願いいたします (godenon o onegai itashimasu) — "Could I leave a message?"
Email openings:
- いつもお世話になっております (itsumo osewa ni natte orimasu) — "Thank you for your continued support" (the standard business email opening)
- 平素より大変お世話になっております (heiso yori taihen osewa ni natte orimasu) — more formal version
Email closings:
- よろしくお願いいたします (yoroshiku onegai itashimasu) — "I look forward to working with you"
- ご確認のほど、よろしくお願いいたします (gokakunin no hodo, yoroshiku onegai itashimasu) — "Please review this"
Common workplace mistakes. The most frequent error is mixing up sonkeigo and kenjōgo — using respectful forms for your own actions instead of humble forms. For example, saying 召し上がります (meshiagarimasu, "I will eat" — respectful) about yourself instead of いただきます (itadakimasu, humble). This is like calling yourself "your majesty." Japanese colleagues will understand what you mean, but it sounds incorrect.
How the Three Types Work Together
Understanding when to use each type of keigo requires understanding the uchi-soto (内/外, inside/outside) distinction. In Japanese social dynamics, people are either uchi (insiders — your family, your company colleagues) or soto (outsiders — other companies, clients, strangers). This distinction determines which keigo type to use.
The basic rule: Use sonkeigo when the other person (soto or senior uchi) does something. Use kenjōgo when you or your uchi group does something in relation to a soto person. Use teineigo as the default for general polite interactions.
Example scenario: You're calling a client's office to speak with their manager, Tanaka-san. Your colleague Yamada is the one who originally handled Tanaka's account.
- Tanaka's actions → sonkeigo: 田中様はいらっしゃいますか (Tanaka-sama wa irasshaimasu ka) — "Is Tanaka available?"
- Your colleague (uchi) → kenjōgo: 山田が担当しております (Yamada ga tantō shite orimasu) — "Yamada is handling [your account]"
- General polite → teineigo: お電話ありがとうございます (Odenwa arigatō gozaimasu) — "Thank you for calling"
This inside/outside dynamic is one of the most important concepts in Japanese business culture. When speaking to an outsider about your own company, you always use humble language for your company's actions — even when talking about your boss. This surprises many learners: you'd say 社長は外出しております (shachō wa gaishutsu shite orimasu, "The president is out") using humble form, even though the president is senior to you.
Practical Tips for Learning Keigo
Don't try to learn all keigo at once. The full keigo system has hundreds of special verb forms and vocabulary items. Trying to memorize them all is overwhelming and unnecessary. Instead, learn what you need for your specific situation.
Master teineigo first. Before diving into sonkeigo and kenjōgo, make sure your teineigo is solid. Correct です/ forms, proper verb conjugations, and natural polite speech patterns. This alone will serve you well in most situations.
Add workplace keigo as needed. If you're starting a job in Japan, learn the specific keigo phrases you'll use daily — phone greetings, email openings, meeting expressions. Don't learn every possible keigo form; learn the 20–30 phrases you'll actually use, and expand gradually.
Observe keigo in real life. Japanese dramas set in offices or restaurants are excellent for hearing keigo in context. Pay attention to how characters speak to their bosses versus their friends. Listen to Japanese customer service interactions — convenience store staff, department stores, hotel front desks — and notice the keigo patterns.
Practice with a tutor. Keigo is hard to learn from books alone because it requires understanding social context. Working with a Japanese tutor on italki who can role-play business scenarios is one of the most effective ways to internalize keigo patterns.
For a broader look at professional Japanese culture, see our guide to Japanese business etiquette. And for structured Japanese learning that builds toward professional proficiency, check out our JLPT N5–N3 study plan.
Ready to practice Japanese in a professional setting? Browse Japanese language programs and start planning your study abroad experience in Japan, where you'll encounter keigo in shops, offices, and restaurants every day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to learn keigo to speak Japanese?
Basic teineigo (です/ます form) is essential — it's the default polite register you'll use in most daily interactions. Full keigo (sonkeigo and kenjōgo) is mainly needed for business settings, customer service roles, and formal situations. If you're studying in Japan as a student, teineigo is sufficient for daily life. If you're planning to work in a Japanese company, invest in keigo study. Most Japanese people appreciate any effort to use polite language and won't expect perfection from non-native speakers.
Is keigo the same as Korean honorifics?
The concept is similar — both Japanese and Korean adjust language based on social hierarchy — but the execution is different. Korean honorifics primarily use different verb endings (speech levels like 합니다체, 해요체). Japanese keigo goes further by using entirely different vocabulary for respectful and humble forms. For example, Korean changes the verb ending to show respect; Japanese changes the verb itself (食べる → 召し上がる). Korean has a more complex system of speech levels; Japanese has a more complex system of special vocabulary. For comparison, see our guide to learning Korean.
What's the most common keigo mistake?
Mixing up sonkeigo and kenjōgo — specifically, using respectful forms (sonkeigo) for your own actions when you should be using humble forms (kenjōgo). For example, saying いらっしゃいます (irasshaimasu, "I go/come" — respectful) about yourself instead of 参ります (mairimasu, humble). This is the equivalent of elevating yourself instead of humbling yourself. Japanese colleagues will understand your meaning, but it sounds like a social error. The rule is simple: sonkeigo for others' actions, kenjōgo for your own.
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