Respect for others: the そんけいご verbs
いらっしゃる, おっしゃる, めしあがる, ごらんになる, なさる, ご存じだ, くださる
そんけいご = raising other people's actions (never your own) with special verbs: いらっしゃる, おっしゃる, めしあがる, ごらんに なる, なさる, ご存じだ, くださる. ます-form with い: いらっしゃいます.
In short
そんけいご (respectful language) raises up the person you're talking about: a customer, a teacher, a superior. It's only ever used for other people's actions, never your own. The most common verbs have special forms you have to learn by heart: いらっしゃる, おっしゃる, めしあがる…
- 先生は 今 研究室に いらっしゃいます。せんせいは いま けんきゅうしつに いらっしゃいます。The professor is in his office at the moment.
- 先生が そう おっしゃいました。せんせいが そう おっしゃいました。That's what the professor said.
- お飲み物は 何を めしあがりますか。おのみものは なにを めしあがりますか。What would you like to drink?
The basics: three kinds of politeness
Keigo, honorific language, has three branches. You already know the first: です / ます, politeness towards the person you're talking to (ていねいご). The other two play on the standing of the people involved: そんけいご raises the other person by how you talk about their actions; けんじょうご (later) lowers your own.
Golden rule: そんけいご never applies to yourself or your own side. It's used for a customer, a teacher, a superior, or a stranger you want to show respect to.
| Type | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ていねいご | politeness towards the listener | 行きます、です |
| そんけいご | raises the other person's action | 先生が いらっしゃいます |
| けんじょうご | lowers my own action | わたしが 参ります (later) |
The professor is in his office at the moment.
- noun
- verb
- 先生は 研究室に います。せんせいは けんきゅうしつに います。The professor is in his office. (polite, but no particular respect)
- 先生は 研究室に いらっしゃいます。せんせいは けんきゅうしつに いらっしゃいます。The professor is in his office. (respectful)
The special verbs
The most frequent verbs have their own respectful form. Careful: いらっしゃる, おっしゃる, なさる and くださる form their ます-form with い: いらっしゃいます, おっしゃいます, なさいます, くださいます (never “いらっしゃります”).
| Neutral verb | そんけいご | ます-form |
|---|---|---|
| いる・行く・来る | いらっしゃる | いらっしゃいます |
| 言う | おっしゃる | おっしゃいます |
| 食べる・飲む | めしあがる | めしあがります |
| 見る | ごらんに なる | ごらんに なります |
| する | なさる | なさいます |
| 知って いる | ご存じだ | ご存じです |
| くれる | くださる | くださいます |
| 寝る | お休みに なる | お休みに なります |
- 社長は 何時に いらっしゃいますか。しゃちょうは なんじに いらっしゃいますか。What time will the president be arriving?
- 田中さんを ご存じですか。たなかさんを ごぞんじですか。Do you know Mr Tanaka?
- 先生が この 本を くださいました。せんせいが この ほんを くださいました。The professor gave me this book.
Whom to raise? Your own side
In Japan, people distinguish “us” (うち: family, colleagues at your own company) from “them” (そと). Among colleagues, you speak about your boss in そんけいご. But in front of a customer, your boss is on your side: you no longer raise them; you speak about them modestly, without さん (けんじょうご comes later).
- 部長は もう お昼を めしあがりましたか。ぶちょうは もう おひるを めしあがりましたか。Has the manager had lunch yet? (among colleagues)
- 週末は 何を なさいますか。しゅうまつは なにを なさいますか。What are you doing this weekend? (to a customer, a teacher)
Common mistakes
- Talking about yourself in そんけいご: “わたしは 八時に いらっしゃいます” is absurd; you'd be raising yourself.
- Saying “いらっしゃります”, “おっしゃります”: the ます-form is with い (いらっしゃいます).
- Raising your own boss in front of a customer: to outsiders, your company is “us”; stay modest.
- Mixing up いらっしゃる (the other person comes, goes or is here) and 参る (I come or go, later).
8 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N4 point is on the New Tram Line (At work) of the Osaka subway.