In the Japanese language, polite forms play an important role in defining status, position, "direction", and intimacy. Not using the correct level of politeness can be confusing, unprofessional, or even insulting to the Japanese.
Instead of ます (masu) you can also add のです (no desu) to the rentaikei conjugation of verbs. This construction can be used to put some variety into your sentences or to make a sentence polite if you forgot to use the ます form.
When speaking with friends, this form should be avoided as it puts distance between you and your friends, and can give the impression that they did something wrong. On the other hand, if you have offended your friends in some way, using this form may restore some of the respect your friends had for you.
Note: When conjugating the polite forms with です (desu) the main verb is conjugated. です (desu) remains unconjugated. The only exception is when です (desu) is used by itself as the polite form of だ (da). In that case, of course, です (desu) is conjugated since then that's the main verb. When you conjugate the polite verbs with ます (masu) most of the time ます (masu) is conjugated.
Polite verbs and words
Japanese has a number of polite synonyms. When using these, you upgrade the overall politeness level without the use of humble and honorific words.
You can make any noun polite by adding the honorific お (o) or ご (go). お (o) should be used with kun'yomi words and ご (go) with on'yomi words.
You can also use the passive form to increase the politeness. The polite, passive form maintains the normal construction a typical sentence would.
あなたがもう食事を食べられましたか。
Anata ga mou shokuji wo taberaremashita ka.
Have you had dinner yet?
明日、来られますか。
Ashita, koraremasu ka.
Will you come by tomorrow?
Humble verbs can only be used for yourself and honorific verbs just for other people. Using honorific verbs for yourself, even as a joke, won't be understood by Japanese people as they will automatically assume you are talking about them.
You can make any verb honorific by using the following construction:
お + ren'youkei + になる (o-ren'youkei ni naru)
新しい車をお買いになりましたか。
Atarashii kuruma wo o-kai ni narimashita ka.
Did you buy a new car?
Informal language
The informal language should only be used by friends and family. It creates an atmosphere of intimacy by which people who do not know you would feel very uncomfortable. Using the informal construction when speaking to whom you should be showing respect, like a teacher or a boss, is considered insulting. All sentences that lack polite forms and verbs are supposed to be informal.The basic polite forms: ます (masu) and です (desu)
Using the basic polite forms puts some distance between you and the person to whom you are speaking. At the same time, it shows respect to the person you are speaking to, without being humble. This basic form can be constructed by adding ます (masu) to the ren'youkei conjugation of verbs, or です (desu) to the rentaikei conjugation of verbal adjectives. です (desu) by itself is the polite form of だ (da).Instead of ます (masu) you can also add のです (no desu) to the rentaikei conjugation of verbs. This construction can be used to put some variety into your sentences or to make a sentence polite if you forgot to use the ます form.
Informal | Polite |
---|---|
買う kau | 買います kaimasu |
- | 買うのです kau no desu |
書く kaku | 書きます kakimasu |
- | 書くのです kaku no desu |
出す dasu | 出します dashimasu |
- | 出すのです dasu no desu |
待つ matsu | 待ちます machimasu |
- | 待つのです matsu no desu |
食べる taberu | 食べます tabemasu |
- | 食べるのです taberu no desu |
見る miru | 見ます mimasu |
- | 見るのです miru no desu |
する suru | します shimasu |
- | するのです suru no desu |
来る kuru | 来ます kimasu |
- | 来るのです kuru no desu |
高い takai | 高いです takai desu |
- | 高いのです takai no desu |
難しい muzukashii | 難しいです muzukashii desu |
- | 難しいのです muzukashii no desu |
When speaking with friends, this form should be avoided as it puts distance between you and your friends, and can give the impression that they did something wrong. On the other hand, if you have offended your friends in some way, using this form may restore some of the respect your friends had for you.
Note: When conjugating the polite forms with です (desu) the main verb is conjugated. です (desu) remains unconjugated. The only exception is when です (desu) is used by itself as the polite form of だ (da). In that case, of course, です (desu) is conjugated since then that's the main verb. When you conjugate the polite verbs with ます (masu) most of the time ます (masu) is conjugated.
Polite verbs and words
Japanese has a number of polite synonyms. When using these, you upgrade the overall politeness level without the use of humble and honorific words.
Neutral polite | Very polite | Meaning |
---|---|---|
です desu | でございます de gozaimasu | to be |
あります arimasu | ございます gozaimasu | there are (of inanimate objects) |
・・・さん ...san | ・・・様 ...sama | honourific suffix |
少し sukoshi | 少々 shōshō | a little |
いい ii | 宜しい yoroshii | to be good |
誰 dare | 何方 donata | who |
今日 kyō | 本日 honjitsu | today |
後で ato de | 後程 nochihodo | later |
さっき sakki | 先程 sakihodo | earlier |
どう dō | いかが ikaga | how |
私 watashi | 私 watakushi | I, me |
You can make any noun polite by adding the honorific お (o) or ご (go). お (o) should be used with kun'yomi words and ご (go) with on'yomi words.
You can also use the passive form to increase the politeness. The polite, passive form maintains the normal construction a typical sentence would.
あなたがもう食事を食べられましたか。
Anata ga mou shokuji wo taberaremashita ka.
Have you had dinner yet?
明日、来られますか。
Ashita, koraremasu ka.
Will you come by tomorrow?
Humble and honorific verbs
In some cases, the normal polite forms may not be sufficient. Honorific and humble verbs are used when you need to show more respect than normal. These circumstances include: dealing with customers, asking for favours, and making up for errors and mistakes. Also when speaking to people who are much higher on the social ladder, it may be appropriate to use these verbs.Humble verbs can only be used for yourself and honorific verbs just for other people. Using honorific verbs for yourself, even as a joke, won't be understood by Japanese people as they will automatically assume you are talking about them.
Neutral | Humble | Meaning |
---|---|---|
いる iru | おる oru | there are (of living beings) |
来る / 行く kuru / iku | 参る mairu | to come / to go |
言う iu | 申す mousu | to say, to speak |
する suru | 致す itasu | to do |
見る miru | 拝見する haiken suru | to see, to watch, to look |
聞く kiku | 伺う ukagau | to ask, to listen, to hear |
会う au | お目にかかる o-me ni kakaru | to meet |
伝える tsutaeru | 申し伝える moushitsutaeru | to tell |
知る / 思う shiru / omou | 存じる zonjiru | to know, to think |
やる yaru | 上げる ageru | to give (to someone else) |
- | 差し上げる sashiageru | - |
もらう morau | 頂く itadaku | to receive |
Neutral | Honorific | Meaning |
---|---|---|
いる iru | いらっしゃる irassharu | there are (of living beings) |
- | ]お出でになる o-ide ni naru | - |
- | お出でです o-ide desu | - |
来る / 行く kuru / iku | いらっしゃる irassharu | to come / to go |
- | お出でになる o-ide ni naru | - |
- | お出でです o-ide desu | - |
言う iu | 仰る ossharu | to say, to speak |
する suru | 為さる nasaru | to do |
見る miru | ご覧になる go-ran ni naru | to see, to watch, to look |
食べる / 飲む taberu / nomu | 召し上がる meshiagaru | to eat, to drink |
くれる kureru | 下さる kudasaru | to give (to me) |
You can make any verb honorific by using the following construction:
お + ren'youkei + になる (o-ren'youkei ni naru)
新しい車をお買いになりましたか。
Atarashii kuruma wo o-kai ni narimashita ka.
Did you buy a new car?