Genki Grammar #115: Mastering Humble Expressions

Introduction

In Japanese, showing respect to others is essential, especially in formal situations. Humble expressions are one way to show this respect when talking about actions you or someone close to you perform for others. By using humble language, you lower your own position, which in turn raises the status of the person you are interacting with. In this post, we will learn how to use humble expressions and understand when and how to apply them.

What It Means

Humble expressions in Japanese are used when you describe your own actions or the actions of someone in your group due to respect for others. One common way to form humble expressions is by using the pattern お + verb stem + する (o + verb stem + suru). This pattern indicates that you are performing an action in a humble manner.

For example:

• お会いする (o ai suru) – “to humbly meet”
• お貸しする (o kashi suru) – “to humbly lend”
• お借りする (o kari suru) – “to humbly borrow”

When to Use It

Use humble expressions when:

• You are talking to someone of higher status (e.g., a professor, boss, or customer).
• You want to show respect when describing your actions or those of someone in your group.
• You are performing an action for the benefit of the listener. 

Humble expressions are typically used in business settings, formal situations, and when interacting with people in higher positions.

Examples

Let’s look at some examples to understand how humble expressions work.

1. 私はきのう社長のご主人にお会いしました。 (Watashi wa kinou shachou no goshujin ni o ai shimashita)
   I (humbly) met the company president’s husband yesterday.
   • Verb: 会う (au) – “to meet.” The humble form お会いする (o ai suru) is used here to show respect.
2. 私は先生に本をお貸しするつもりです。 (Watashi wa sensei ni hon o o kashi suru tsumori desu)
   I intend to (humbly) lend my professor a book.
   • Verb: 貸す (kasu) – “to lend.” The humble form お貸しする (o kashi suru) is used here.
3. 私は先生に日本語の本をお借りしました。 (Watashi wa sensei ni nihongo no hon o o kari shimashita)
   I borrowed a Japanese book from my professor (and feel very obliged).
   • Verb: 借りる (kariru) – “to borrow.” The humble form お借りする (o kari suru) is used to show respect for the professor.

Special Cases: Suru Verbs and Others

Compound verbs that use する (suru) don’t follow the お + verb stem + する pattern. Instead, they often use prefixes like ご (go) or お (o), followed by する (suru). Examples include:

• ご紹介する (go shoukai suru) – to humbly introduce
• ご案内する (go annai suru) – to humbly guide
• お電話する (o denwa suru) – to humbly call

For example:

• 外国人に人気がある店をご紹介しましょう。 (Gaikokujin ni ninki ga aru mise o go shoukai shimashou)
  Let us tell you about a shop that is popular among foreigners.

Morau and Ageru: Special Verbs

When using humble forms of もらう (morau) and あげる (ageru), the verbs change:

• もらう becomes いただく (itadaku) – to humbly receive
• あげる becomes さしあげる (sashiageru) – to humbly give

Examples:

1. 私は先生にこの本をいただきました。 (Watashi wa sensei ni kono hon o itadakimashita)
   I (humbly) received this book from my professor.
2. 私は先生に花をさしあげます。 (Watashi wa sensei ni hana o sashiagemasu)
   I will (humbly) give my professor flowers.

Ukagau: Asking and Visiting

うかがう (ukagau) is a special humble verb used for asking questions or visiting someone.

Examples:

1. 私は部長のお宅にうかがいました。 (Watashi wa buchou no otaku ni ukagaimashita)
   I (humbly) visited my department manager’s house.
2. 私は先生にテストについてうかがいました。 (Watashi wa sensei ni tesuto ni tsuite ukagaimashita)
   I (humbly) asked my professor about the test.

Notes

• Group Actions: You can use humble expressions when talking about the actions of someone in your group, such as a family member or coworker, to show respect to an outside person. For example:
  • 父はお客さんにお茶をおいれしました。 (Chichi wa okyaku-san ni ocha o oire shimashita)
    My father (humbly) served tea to the guest.
• Difference from Extra-Modest Expressions: Extra-modest expressions show respect to the listener by making yourself sound modest. You don’t need to mention who you are talking to or doing something for when using extra-modest expressions; the focus is on lowering your own position. Humble expressions, however, require you to mention the person who is receiving the benefit of the action. These expressions show respect by lowering your own position and emphasizing the importance of the person you are helping.
  For example:
  • Extra-modest expression:
    私はマリアと申します。 (Watashi wa Maria to moushimasu)
    I am Maria. (Used to show modesty and respect, without needing to mention anyone else.)
  • Humble expression:
    （私はあなたを）駅までお送りします。 (Watashi wa anata o eki made o okuri shimasu)
    I will (humbly) walk you to the station. (Here, you mention the person receiving the benefit—”you”—to show respect.)
• Doing Something for the Listener: Humble expressions can also be used to show that you are performing an action for the benefit of the person you are speaking to. In this case, the person who will receive the benefit is not clearly mentioned. For example:
  • テレビをおつけしましょう。 (Terebi o otsuke shimashou)
    Let me (humbly) turn on the TV (for you).
    

Conclusion

Humble expressions are a key part of Japanese politeness, used to lower your position,  which in turn raises the status of the person you are interacting with. Mastering these forms, such as お + verb stem + する and special humble verbs like いただく (itadaku) and うかがう (ukagau), will help you communicate more respectfully in formal situations.