The Three Levels of Japanese Politeness
Japanese has a formal system of polite language called けいご (keigo). Mixing levels — using casual forms in formal contexts, or over-applying polite forms to your own actions — is one of the most noticed mistakes by native speakers.
The Three Types of Keigo
| Type | Japanese | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Respectful language | そんけいご (sonkeigo) | Describing what the OTHER person (superior/customer) does |
| Humble language | けんじょうご (kenjougo) | Describing what YOU do, lowering yourself |
| Polite language | ていねいご (teineigo) | General polite speech (〜ます / 〜です) |
The Most Common Mistake: Applying Respectful Forms to Yourself
Respectful forms (いらっしゃる, おっしゃる, なさる) are ONLY for others — never yourself:
| Wrong (applying respect to self) | Correct (humble for self) |
|---|---|
| わたしはいらっしゃいます ✗ | わたしはおります ✓ (humble form of いる) |
| わたしはいただきます + もらいます together ✗ | いただきます alone ✓ |
| わたしはおっしゃいました ✗ | わたしはもうしました ✓ (humble of いう) |
Key Keigo Pairs to Know
| Plain | Respectful (for others) | Humble (for yourself) |
|---|---|---|
| いる (to be) | いらっしゃる | おる |
| いう (to say) | おっしゃる | もうす |
| する (to do) | なさる | いたす |
| もらう (to receive) | — | いただく |
| あげる (to give) | — | さしあげる |
| くれる (to give me) | くださる | — |
| たべる/のむ (to eat/drink) | めしあがる | いただく |
| いく/くる (to go/come) | いらっしゃる | まいる |
Practical Tip: Start with Teineigo
Full keigo takes years to master. For most learners, focus on:
- Never use plain forms (だ, る-ending) in formal/business contexts — always use ます/です.
- Learn いただく (humble for receiving/eating) — extremely common in business.
- Learn もうす (humble for saying) — essential for introductions: 〜ともうします (I am called ~).
Yuka Accidentally Mixes Keigo Levels
Mistakes feel embarrassing in the moment but they are the fastest way to learn. Watch how Yuka makes a natural error — and how Rei explains the rule clearly enough to prevent it from happening again.
YukaRei, I was speaking politely to my boss and mixed in some casual words. They didn’t say anything but it felt wrong.
ReiKeigo (honorific language) requires consistency. Mixing 丁寧語 (polite), 尊敬語 (respectful for others), and 謙譲語 (humble for yourself) in the wrong places is a common learner error. The good news: bosses rarely correct foreigners — they appreciate the effort!
YukaWhat are the most important rules to get right?
ReiThree key rules: 1. Use 尊敬語 for what your superior does: いらっしゃいます (is/goes), おっしゃいます (says). 2. Use 謙譲語 for what you do: まいります (go), もうします (say). 3. Never use 尊敬語 about yourself or 謙譲語 about your boss.
YukaIs there a simple keigo phrase I can memorise that always works?
Reiよろしくおねがいいたします is the universal safe phrase — it closes emails, ends meetings, and works in almost any situation. Start there, then gradually add more keigo as you observe how colleagues speak. Absorption from real context beats memorising a grammar list.
5 Correct Sentences — Read These Aloud
Each sentence demonstrates the correct usage from this article. Say them aloud to lock in the right pattern.
- 部長はいらっしゃいますか？（○）
Is the manager in? (尊敬語 for superior) - わたくしがまいります。（○）
I will go. (謙譲語 for yourself) - おせわになっております。
Thank you for your continued support. - ごれんらくいただき、ありがとうございます。
Thank you for contacting us. - ご確認のほど、よろしくおねがいいたします。
I would appreciate your confirmation.
Your Turn! Correct the Mistake in the Comments
Here is a sentence with the error from this article. Can you fix it? Write the corrected version — and your own correct sentence — in the comments below.
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