How do I use お〜になる and お〜する patterns?

These two patterns are productive keigo constructions that work with most verb stems. お + [verb stem] + になる is the respectful (sonkeigo) pattern used for the actions of superiors: お読みになる (honored reading), お待ちになる (honored waiting). お + [verb stem] + する is the humble (kenjōgo) pattern used for your own actions toward superiors: お持ちします (I will carry it for you), お送りします (I will send it). The key distinction: になる raises the other person; する lowers yourself.

Japanese Keigo: Polite, Respectful & Humble Speech Complete Guide

Q: What are the three types of Japanese keigo?

Japanese keigo (敬語, honorific speech) has three main types. 丁寧語 (teineigo, polite language) uses the ます and です forms and is the standard level of politeness appropriate for most situations with strangers, colleagues, and superiors. 尊敬語 (sonkeigo, respectful language) is used to describe the actions of a person you respect — a superior, customer, or elder — elevating their actions. 謙譲語 (kenjōgo, humble language) is used to describe your own actions in a way that lowers yourself relative to the other person.

Q: What is the difference between 尊敬語 and 謙譲語?

The key difference is direction: 尊敬語 (sonkeigo) applies to the actions of the person you are speaking to or about — it raises their actions. 謙譲語 (kenjōgo) applies to your own actions — it lowers you relative to them. For example, when a superior eats, you say 召し上がる (sonkeigo). When you eat in front of a superior, you say いただく (kenjōgo). Using the wrong type in the wrong direction — for example, using humble forms for someone else's actions — is a serious and offensive error in keigo.

Q: Why is ご苦労様 considered rude to superiors?

ご苦労様 (gokurosama) is an expression of appreciation for someone's hard work, but it is inherently top-down — it is said by a person in authority to someone below them, acknowledging their labor. Using it toward a supervisor or customer therefore implies that you are in a superior position, which is deeply inappropriate in Japanese workplace culture. The correct expression for acknowledging the hard work of superiors and colleagues of equal or higher rank is お疲れ様です (otsukaresama desu).

Q: What is 二重敬語 and why should I avoid it?

二重敬語 (nijū keigo, double keigo) is the error of stacking two honorific forms on the same verb when only one is needed. A common example is お読みになられた — this combines the respectful pattern お〜になる with the additional respectful form られる, making it redundant. The correct form is simply お読みになった. Double keigo can sound unnatural and overly formal to native speakers, and is often listed as a mistake even in business Japanese training. Use one respectful mechanism at a time.

Q: Do I need keigo for JLPT N3 or N2?

Keigo vocabulary appears on JLPT starting from N3 and becomes a significant focus at N2 and N1. At N3 you are expected to recognize and understand the most common keigo verbs — いらっしゃる, おっしゃる, 参る, 申す, いただく, 差し上げる, くださる, ご覧になる. At N2, the exam tests your ability to select the correct keigo form in workplace-scenario sentences. At N1, nuanced distinctions such as choosing between appropriate humble and respectful patterns are tested. Building keigo knowledge early gives a strong advantage at all upper levels.

Japanese keigo (敬語) is the system of honorific speech that governs how you talk in formal situations, workplaces, and with people of higher social standing. It has three layers: 丁寧語 (polite — the ます・です level you already know), 尊敬語 (respectful — used for other people's actions), and 謙譲語 (humble — used for your own actions to lower yourself relative to others). Getting the direction wrong — using humble forms for others or respectful forms for yourself — is a serious social error.

Covers: three types of keigo, full verb table (plain / 丁寧語 / 尊敬語 / 謙譲語), お〜になる vs お〜する patterns, essential business phrases, ご苦労様 warning, 5 critical mistakes

Written by YoruLearn Team · Last reviewed: June 2026

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The Three Types of Keigo at a Glance

Type	Japanese	Reading	Purpose	Applied to
Polite	丁寧語	ていねいご	General formal speech	Any situation requiring politeness — strangers, colleagues, customers
Respectful	尊敬語	そんけいご	Elevate the other person's actions	Actions of superiors, customers, elders — people you respect
Humble	謙譲語	けんじょうご	Lower your own actions	Your own actions when speaking to or about superiors

Core Keigo Verbs: Four-Way Comparison

Plain form	丁寧語	尊敬語 (others' actions)	謙譲語 (your actions)
いる	います	いらっしゃる	おる
行く	行きます	いらっしゃる・おいでになる	参る（まいる）
来る	来ます	いらっしゃる・お越しになる	参る（まいる）
言う	言います	おっしゃる	申す（もうす）
する	します	なさる	いたす
食べる・飲む	食べます	召し上がる（めしあがる）	いただく
もらう	もらいます	—	いただく
あげる	あげます	—	差し上げる（さしあげる）
くれる	くれます	くださる	—
見る	見ます	ご覧になる（ごらんになる）	拝見する（はいけんする）
知っている	知っています	ご存知ですか（ごぞんじ）	存じる（ぞんじる）
聞く・訪ねる	聞きます	—	伺う（うかがう）

Productive Patterns: お〜になる vs お〜する

These two patterns let you make almost any verb respectful or humble without memorizing a separate form.

Pattern	Type	How to form	Examples
お〜になる	Respectful (尊敬語)	お + verb stem + になる	お読みになる・お待ちになる・お使いになる
お〜する	Humble (謙譲語)	お + verb stem + する / します	お持ちします・お送りします・お伝えします
ご〜になる	Respectful — Sino-Japanese verbs	ご + Sino-Japanese noun + になる	ご利用になる・ご確認になる
ご〜する	Humble — Sino-Japanese verbs	ご + Sino-Japanese noun + する	ご連絡します・ご説明します

Use お〜 with native Japanese (訓読み) verb stems and ご〜 with Sino-Japanese (音読み) verbal nouns. The direction is clear: になる raises the other person; する lowers yourself.

Essential Business Keigo Phrases

Phrase	Reading	Meaning & usage
いらっしゃいませ	いらっしゃいませ	Welcome — used to greet customers entering a shop or business
お世話になっております	おせわになっております	Thank you for your continued support — standard opening in business email and calls
失礼いたします	しつれいいたします	Excuse me / goodbye — humble; used when entering or leaving a superior's space
よろしくお願いいたします	よろしくおねがいいたします	I respectfully request your cooperation — closing phrase for emails and introductions
かしこまりました	かしこまりました	Certainly / understood — more humble than わかりました; used with customers and superiors
承知いたしました	しょうちいたしました	I understand and acknowledge — formal alternative to かしこまりました, common in email
ご確認ください	ごかくにんください	Please confirm / please check — respectful request used in business writing
お疲れ様です	おつかれさまです	Good work / thank you for your effort — used with colleagues and superiors (NOT ご苦労様)

ご苦労様 warning: ご苦労様（ごくろうさま） is said ONLY by superiors to subordinates — it implies you are acknowledging their labor from above. NEVER say it to a customer, supervisor, or anyone of equal or higher status. Always use お疲れ様です with superiors and colleagues.

5 Critical Keigo Mistakes

Saying ご苦労様でした to a superior. This is considered very rude because ご苦労様 is inherently top-down — it is used only by those in authority to those below them. Use お疲れ様です when addressing superiors or colleagues of equal rank, always.
Using humble forms for someone else's actions. Do not say ✗ 先生が申した — 申す is a humble form for YOUR OWN speech. For your teacher's words, use the respectful form: ✓ 先生がおっしゃった. Applying humble forms to others is one of the most common and most offensive keigo errors.
Using respectful forms for your own actions. Do not say ✗ 私がいらっしゃいます — いらっしゃる is reserved for others' actions. For yourself, use the humble form: ✓ 私が参ります. The direction of the form must match who is performing the action.
Double keigo (二重敬語). Stacking two respectful mechanisms on one verb is redundant and unnatural. ✗ お読みになられた combines お〜になる and 〜られる for no added benefit. The correct single form is ✓ お読みになった. One honorific mechanism per verb is sufficient.
Using plain form in business situations. Even わかった (understood) sounds abrupt and unprofessional in a business context. Use かしこまりました (most formal, with customers) or 承知いたしました (formal, email and business settings). The level of formality you choose signals your professionalism.

FAQ: Japanese Keigo

What are the three types of Japanese keigo?

Japanese keigo (敬語) has three main types. 丁寧語（ていねいご） uses the ます and です forms — the standard polite level for most formal situations. 尊敬語（そんけいご） is used to describe the actions of a person you respect, elevating their actions. 謙譲語（けんじょうご） is used to describe your own actions in a way that lowers yourself relative to the other person. The three types work together: you use 尊敬語 for their actions and 謙譲語 for yours in the same conversation.

What is the difference between 尊敬語 and 謙譲語?

The key difference is direction. 尊敬語 elevates the actions of the person you are speaking to or about — it raises them. 謙譲語 describes your own actions in a lowered way — it lowers you relative to them. When a superior eats, you say 召し上がる (sonkeigo). When you eat or receive something in front of a superior, you say いただく (kenjōgo). Mixing the direction — using humble forms for others or respectful forms for yourself — is a serious and offensive error.

How do お〜になる and お〜する patterns work?

お + verb stem + になる is the respectful pattern for the actions of superiors: お読みになる (you read, respectfully), お待ちになる (you wait, respectfully). お + verb stem + する is the humble pattern for your own actions: お持ちします (I will carry it for you), お送りします (I will send it). The rule: になる raises the other person; する lowers yourself. Use ご〜 instead of お〜 with Sino-Japanese verbal nouns.

Why is ご苦労様 considered rude to superiors?

ご苦労様 is inherently top-down — it is said by a person in authority to someone below them, acknowledging their labor. Using it toward a supervisor or customer implies that you hold the higher position, which is deeply inappropriate. The correct expression for acknowledging the hard work of superiors and colleagues of equal or higher rank is お疲れ様です. This is one of the most commonly taught keigo rules in Japanese workplace training.

What is 二重敬語 and why should I avoid it?

二重敬語（にじゅうけいご） — double keigo — is the error of stacking two honorific forms on the same verb. A common example: ✗ お読みになられた combines お〜になる and 〜られる, making it redundant. The correct single form is ✓ お読みになった. Double keigo sounds unnatural and overly stiff even to Japanese ears, and is flagged as incorrect in business Japanese training. One honorific mechanism per verb is always enough.

Do I need keigo for JLPT N3 or N2?

Keigo vocabulary begins appearing on JLPT from N3 and becomes a significant focus at N2 and N1. At N3 you should recognize and understand the most common keigo verbs: いらっしゃる、おっしゃる、参る、申す、いただく、差し上げる、くださる、ご覧になる. At N2, the exam tests selecting the correct keigo form in workplace-scenario sentences. At N1, nuanced distinctions between appropriate humble and respectful patterns are tested. Building keigo knowledge early provides a strong advantage at all upper JLPT levels.

Keep studying

Japanese HonorificsYoruLearn guide →Formal Japanese GreetingsYoruLearn guide →JLPT N3 Grammar GuideYoruLearn guide →Japanese Name SuffixesYoruLearn guide →

Practice Keigo with YoruLearn

The YoruLearn app drills keigo verb recognition and usage through spaced-repetition fill-in-the-blank exercises that test both the correct keigo type and direction — so you build confident, accurate keigo for real workplace and exam situations.

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