In Japanese, polite language, or 丁寧語[teineigo], is a style of speech that is typically used between strangers, acquaintances, or people who are at some social distance from each other. This is one of the main types of Japanese honorific language, or 敬語[keigo]. This style of speech is contrasted with familiar or plain language, which is used between close friends and family and is the type of language you’ll usually find in a dictionary.
The base requirement for using polite language in Japanese is to use the polite form of the verb or other . This is often called the です[desu] form or ます[masu] form, as these are the polite endings you’ll usually see used in the present tense.
However, there are some other linguistic forms that often go along with this style of speech, or can elevate it, including:
Using polite or formal versions of some specific vocabulary words.
Using a formal version of です[desu], でございます[de gozaimasu].
Using more polite sentence structure choices.
Using 美化語[bikago] or “beautiful words,” which are fancier versions of common words, which can make your speech sound more elegant or educated.
In this post, we’ll discuss how to use polite speech in Japanese beyond the simple use of ます[masu] and です[desu]. Ready to have a look? Let’s dive in!
In Japanese, you’ll use polite speech as a default form of interaction when meeting a new person. Though it’s not particularly elevated or formal, it’s less familiar than plain speech, so you can use it with a broad spectrum of people. Here are some things to consider when choosing whether to use polite speech:
Proximity of relationship: Is this a conversation between friends / family members or between strangers / acquaintances? Less familiar people should be spoken to in polite language, while friends and family members can be addressed more casually.
Social rank: Is one of the speakers higher in the hierarchy than the other? Anyone above you in the hierarchy at work or school should be addressed in polite language or respectful language, but never in plain form.
Formality of the situation: Are the speakers at a formal event or a casual one? If you’re in a business meeting, chances are you’ll use polite language, even if you’re friendly with your coworkers.
Personal expression: Some speakers wish to present themselves as polite and proper people at all times, and so choose to use elements of polite speech with nearly everyone. This is closely tied to age and gender.
Speaker’s feelings: In some situations, a speaker might choose to use polite language even with close friends/family in order to maintain mental distance, such as after an argument, when they want to express (passive-aggressively) that they are still upset.
For more on how to make the choice between plain and polite speech, check out our post contrasting plain vs. polite forms in Japanese!
The most essential feature of polite speech in Japanese is the use of the polite form of the sentence’s (the verb or verb-like part). This polite form is sometimes called the です[desu] form or ます[masu] form, because these are the polite endings you’ll mostly see in the present tense. Compare:
Plain Form | Polite Form |
|---|---|
あたらしい Atarashii It’s new. | あたらしいです Atarashii desu It’s new. |
私は毎日ケーキを食べる Watashi wa mainichi kēki o taberu. I eat cake every day. | 私は毎日ケーキを食べます。 Watashi wa mainichi kēki o tabemasu. I eat cake every day. |
The exact way you form the polite form will depend on several factors, such as the , the type of predicate, and whether the sentence is positive or negative. If you want to learn more about how to form the polite form of the predicate, these posts are the best place to start:
Types of verbs in Japanese → polite forms of present tense verbs
Past tense in Japanese → polite form of past tense verbs
Adjectives in Japanese→ polite forms of predicate
State-of-being in Japanese → polite forms of predicate
However, there are also several other linguistic features which often show up when you’re using 丁寧語[teineigo]. Let’s have a look at some of these!
Some particular vocabulary words have “formal” versions, which are often used alongside polite speech. Though you don’t have to use these formal versions to use polite speech, you’ll hear them more often in more formal situations. Here’s a sample of several of these words. Notice that several of them share the same kanji as their standard equivalents.
Standard word | Formal equivalent | English |
|---|---|---|
私 watashi | 私 watakushi | I, me |
昨日 kinō | 昨日 sakujitsu | yesterday |
今日 kyō | 本日 honjitsu | today |
今 ima | 只今 tadaima | now |
後で ato de | 後ほど nochi hodo | later |
本当に hontō ni | 誠に makoto ni | really, sincerely |
もう一度 mō ichi do | 再度 saido | one more time |
から kara | より yori | later |
この間 kono aida | 先日 senjitsu | the other day |
いい ii | よろしい yoroshii | good |
Even the word です[desu] itself has a formal equivalent: でございます[de gozaimasu]. Categorized as a “special polite form,” it bumps up the level of formality. Let’s look more closely at how to use this form!
In formal situations, the word です[desu], used after na-adjectives and , can be replaced by でございます[de gozaimasu]. Using this elevates the level of formality considerably.
祖母は陶芸家でございます。
Sobo wa tōgeika de gozaimasu.
My grandmother is a potter.
Though it is rare in everyday conversation, you can use でございます[de gozaimasu] with i-adjectives as well. However, you’ll need to slightly change the ending of the adjective before adding just ございます[gozaimasu].
i-adjective ending | Ending change | Example |
|---|---|---|
[ai] | [ai]→ [ō] | 危ない abunai dangerous → 危のうございます abunō gozaimasu is dangerous (formal) |
[ii] | [ii] → [ū] | 優しい yasashii kind → 優しゅうございます yasashū gozaimasu is kind (formal) |
[ui] | [ui] → [ū] | 安い yasui inexpensive → 安うございます yasū gozaimasu is inexpensive (formal) |
[oi] | [oi] → [ō] | 面白い omoshiroi interesting → 面白うございます omoshirō gozaimasu is interesting (formal) |
These i-adjective forms may be uncommon in general, but they are actually part of a few very common phrases! Look closely at the following familiar expressions and their derivation:
Common phrase | Source of the phrase |
|---|---|
ありがとうございます Arigatō gozaimasu Thank you (formal) | ありがたいです arigatai desu I am grateful. |
おはようございます Ohayō gozaimasu Good morning (formal) | はやいです hayai desu It is early. |
Can you see that these polite expressions are simply the gozaimasu-form of the adjectives ありがたい[arigatai](grateful) and はやい[hayai](early)？
Other uses of this form are more likely to be heard in fiction or on TV. Characters might say things such as:
お料理は美味しゅうございました。
Oryōri wa oishū gozaimashita.
The dish was delicious.
お姫様、ここは危のうございます！
Ohime-sama, koko wa abunō gozaimasu!
Princess, it is dangerous here!
Much like in English, sentence structure and the way you pronounce your words can also signal politeness in Japanese. This will take some practice, but here are two examples:
Polite speech usually uses the full forms of words and sentences, meaning that there are fewer contractions and particles are not dropped. Compare:
今何読んでるの？
Ima, nani yonderu no?
What are you reading at the moment?
今、何を読んでいますか。
Ima, nani o yonde imasu ka.
What are you reading at the moment?
It’s considered more polite to phrase a question, invitation, or request using the negative form rather than the affirmative, as this softens your phrasing. Compare:
すみません、写真を撮ってくれますか。
Sumimasen, shashin o totte kuremasu ka.
Excuse me, could you take our picture?
すみません、写真を撮ってくれませんか。
Sumimasen, shashin o totte kuremasen ka.
Excuse me, won’t you take a picture?
In formal situations that call for the use of very polite speech, you will sometimes hear the formal te-form, 〜まして (mashite). It derives from the polite form of a verb according to the following pattern:
〜ます
-masu
〜まして
mashite
Unlike a normal te-form, though, this polite te-form cannot be combined to form expressions like 〜てください[te kudasai], 〜てしまう[te shimau], or〜ている[te iru]. Instead, it is frequently used to set up an apology, comment on a completed action, or to imply that the sentence is trailing off, unfinished.
遅くなりまして、申し訳ございません。
Osoku narimashite, mōshiwake gozaimasen.
I’m very sorry for being late.
続きまして、今年の文化祭のテーマを発表したいと思います。
Tsuzukimashite, kotoshi no bunkasai no tēma o happyō shitai to omoimasu.
Continuing on, I want to present the theme for this year’s culture festival.
今朝、旅行会社から連絡がありまして….
Kesa, ryokōgaisha kara renraku ga arimashite….
A message came from the travel agency this morning….
In Japanese, 美化語[bikago] are words you can use to beautify your speech. Using them may make you sound more refined, elegant, educated, or polite.
There’s no exact equivalent to 美化語[bikago] in English, but you can think of them somewhat like graceful euphemisms, like saying “I need a visit to the restroom” instead of “I’m going to the bathroom.”
Here’s an example of how you might use these in a sentence:
お肉とお魚、どちらにしますか？
Oniku to osakana, dochira ni shimasuka?
Which will you have, the meat or the fish?
Beautification words aren’t tied to a single level of formality, for example, you may hear them in casual situations, such as when addressing small children. However, they are used as a way to make speech more polite, and so using them in combination with polite forms is quite common.
Let’s look at these a bit more closely!
In Japanese, most 美化語[bikago] are formed by adding お[o] or ご[go] to the beginning of a noun or occasionally an adjective. These two prefixes have the same meaning, but usually お[o] is mostly added to words of Japanese origin, while ご[go] is used mostly with words of Chinese origin. Occasionally, you’ll need to make some additional changes as well, but this is uncommon.
Usually the “beautified” version of a word is a fancier, more elegant version of a word that is used without お[o] or ご[go] in casual speech. However, there are some cases where the “non-beautified” version isn’t used much anymore. Today, words like this are always or almost always used with お[o] or ご[go], even in casual speech.
Let’s look at some examples! Cells in in gray are words that are almost always used with お[o] or ご[go], and don’t really have a “non-beautified” version anymore.
Beautified words | |
|---|---|
お金 okane money | お店 omise shop |
お水 omizu water | お寿司 osushi sushi |
お菓子 okashi sweets | お祭り omatsuri festival |
お葬式 osōshiki funeral | お天気 otenki weather |
お掃除 osōji cleaning | ご挨拶 goaisatsu greetings; |
おにぎり onigiri rice ball | お守り omamori amulet |
ごちそう gochisō feast | ごめん gomen sorry |
You’ll also see words with these prefixes used in a variety of set phrases, many of which you’ve probably already encountered!
Beautified set phrases | |
|---|---|
お大事に odaiji ni get well soon | ごゆっくり goyukkuri take your time |
ご自由に gojiyū ni go right ahead | ご心配なく goshinpai naku don’t worry about it |
お休みなさい oyasumi nasai good night | お帰りなさい okaeri nasai welcome home |
Above, we generalized that お[o] added to words of Japanese origin, while ご[go] is added words of Chinese origin. Did you notice that some of the examples above broke that rule?
お[o]added to words of Chinese origin:
お葬式
osōshiki
funeral
お天気
otenki
weather
お掃除
osōji
cleaning
お大事に
odaiji ni
get well soon
ご[go]is added to words of Japanese origin:
ごゆっくり
goyukkuri
take your time
In Japanese, you’ll mostly add お[o] or ご[go] to form 美化語[bikago] as a way to sound more elegant or refined. However, be aware of these points!
お[o] and ご[go] can be used with many words, mostly shorter words relating to daily life, but they are almost never used on katakana loan words. One exception is おトイレ[otoire](bathroom).
Choosing to use beautification words is one way in which many women choose to express their feminine identity in speech. As a result, expressions such as お花[ohana](flower), お米[okome](rice) and お水[omizu](water) sound very feminine.
It’s easy to overdo it and end up sounding humorous by mistake. When in doubt, keep it to only words which always have their prefixes, or else to combinations you have heard native speakers use before.
One place you’ll hear a lot of 美化語[bikago] is when adults talk to young children. As a consequence, you’ll also encounter it in children’s books. Adding these prefixes softens the tone.
さあ、お買い物がおわったから、おうちに帰ろうね。
Sā, okaimono ga owatta kara, ouchi ni kaerō ne.
Alrighty, we’re all done shopping, so let’s head home, OK?
お山の上に、お月さまがのぼりました。
Oyama no ue ni otsuki-sama ga noborimashita.
Up over the mountain rose the moon.
The prefixes お[o] and ご[go] are also used in respectful speech, as a way to show respect for the particular person the word refers to. In 美化語[bikago], though, the function of these prefixes is a bit different!
Some 美化語[bikago] have forms that are completely different from their “coarse” or “normal” equivalents. These beatification words either don’t use お[o] or ご[go] at all, or undergo some additional changes on top of adding お[o] or ご[go]. Here are some examples of words like these.
Coarse vocabulary | 美化語[bikago] | English |
|---|---|---|
腹 hara | お腹 onaka | stomach |
飯 meshi | ご飯 gohan | cooked white rice; |
便所 /トイレ benjo/toire | お手洗い、洗面所、etc. otearai, senmenjo, etc. | restroom |
うまい umai | 美味しい oishii | delicious |
まずい mazui | 美味しくない oishikunai | bad (taste) |
死ぬ shinu | 亡くなる nakunaru | to die |
食う ku’u | 食べる taberu | to eat |
腹が減る hara ga heru | お腹がすく onaka ga suku | to become hungry |
In this post, we discussed some features of polite language, or 丁寧語[teineigo], in Japanese. Here are some main points to remember:
The main feature of polite language is the use of the masu or desu form.
Some other linguistic features that also are associated with “polite” speech include:
The use of “formal” vocabulary words, like 私[watakushi](I) instead of 私[watashi](I).
Using でございます[de gozaimasu] as a formal version of です[desu].
Making certain polite sentence structure choices, such as making a request using a negative rather than an affirmative question.
Using 美化語[bikago](beautification words) as elegant versions of everyday vocabulary.
Ready to practice? Check out these Japanese polite language activities! Happy learning!
