Introduction
In Japanese, honorific verbs are used to show respect when describing the actions of others. This type of polite language is essential to express respect towards someone of higher status, like professors, bosses, or customers. Using honorific verbs correctly shows proper etiquette in formal conversations.
What It Means
Honorific verbs are special verbs that show respect. They are often used in place of regular verbs when describing the actions of a teacher, a boss, or a customer.
For example:
- 行く (iku) becomes いらっしゃる (irassharu)
- 見る (miru) becomes ご覧になる (goran ni naru)
- する (suru) becomes なさる (nasaru)
These verbs highlight the respect or admiration you have for the person performing the action.
When to Use It
You should use honorific verbs when talking to or about someone who is above you in rank or status. This could include professors, bosses, or customers. For example, if you’re a student speaking about your professor’s actions, use an honorific verb instead of a regular verb.
Example:
- Regular: 先生が来ます。(Sensei ga kimasu.)
The professor is coming. - Honorific: 先生がいらっしゃいます。(Sensei ga irasshaimasu.)
The professor is (graciously) coming.
In the honorific version, the verb いらっしゃいます (irasshaimasu) shows respect.
Examples
- 部長がご覧になります。
(Buchou ga goran ni narimasu.)
The department manager watches (graciously). - 社長は今日会社にいらっしゃいません。
(Shachou wa kyou kaisha ni irasshaimasen.)
The president won’t (gractiously) be at the company today. - 何を召し上がりますか。
(Nani o meshiagarimasu ka.)
What will you (gractiously) eat/drink?
Note
For some actions, there are no specific honorific verbs. In these cases, you can add お (o) before the verb stem and になります (ni narimasu) after it. For example:
- Regular: 読む (yomu)
- Honorific: お読みになります (o-yomi ni narimasu)
The person reads (graciously).
This structure is useful for creating respectful sentences when there are no special honorific verbs available.
Conclusion
Honorific verbs are an essential part of polite Japanese speech. By learning and using them correctly, you can show respect and politeness in conversations. Practice using these verbs to enhance your formal Japanese skills and show your appreciation for the people you interact with.
Recommended Resources
For a deeper understanding of Honorific Verbs, I recommend “A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar.” The book provides a clear explanation of this structure under the entry Honorific Polite Verbs, covering its meaning and usage in showing respect in Japanese. If you want to explore this grammar point in more detail and see more examples of polite language, this book is an excellent reference to enhance your knowledge of formal Japanese speech.
