Japanese language
is spoken natively by about 128 million people, primarily by Japanese people and primarily in Japan, the only country where it is the national language. Japanese belongs to the Japonic or Japanese- Ryukyuan language family. There have been ...
has a system of honorific speech, referred to as , parts of speech that show respect. Their use is mandatory in many social situations. Honorifics in Japanese may be used to emphasize social distance or disparity in rank, or to emphasize social intimacy or similarity in rank. Japanese honorific titles, often simply called
honorific
An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an honorary academic title. It ...
s, consist of suffixes and prefixes when referring to others in a conversation.
The system is very extensive, having its own special vocabulary and grammatical forms to express various levels of respectful, humble, and polite speech. It closely resembles other honorifics systems found in the
East Asian cultural sphere
The East Asian cultural sphere, also known as the Sinosphere, the Sinic world, the Sinitic world, the Chinese cultural sphere, the Chinese character sphere encompasses multiple countries in East Asia and Southeast Asia that were historically ...
Japanese uses honorific constructions to show or emphasize social rank, social intimacy or similarity in rank. The choice of
pronoun
In linguistics and grammar, a pronoun (abbreviated ) is a word or a group of words that one may substitute for a noun or noun phrase.
Pronouns have traditionally been regarded as one of the parts of speech, but some modern theorists would not c ...
used, for example, will express the social relationship between the person speaking and the person being referred to, and Japanese often avoids pronouns entirely in favor of more explicit titles or kinship terms.
Honorific speech is often longer, and sometimes much longer, than more direct speech. Some extreme, but not uncommon, examples include the following:
When asking a question: the first is casually between friends, the second is a junior person asking a superior in a formal meeting:
*聞いていい?
::''Kiite ii?''
:::Ok to ask (a question)?
*聞かせていただけると嬉しいのですが。
::''Kikasete-itadakeru to ureshii no desu ga.''
:::I would, however, be delighted if I may be permitted to ask (a question).
When asking for cooperation: the first is usual and polite, the latter is very formal, but often found in writing, especially in posters or flyers.
*ご協力下さい。
::''Go-kyōryoku-kudasai.''
:::Your cooperation, please.
*ご協力の程お願い申し上げます。
::''Go-kyōryoku no hodo o-negai mōshiagemasu.''
:::We respectfully request the favor of a measure of your cooperation.
This latter example includes two honorific prefixes, nominalization of a verb (for formality), a respectful form, and two humble forms.
Types of honorifics
Honorifics in Japanese, or , fall under three main categories: ; ; and . is more rarely called , ''kenson'' being an alternative word for "humility, modesty". Linguistically the first is an
addressee
Addressee may refer to:
* Someone to whom mail or similar things are addressed or sent
* Interlocutor (linguistics), a person to whom a conversation or dialogue is addressed
See also
* Address (disambiguation)
* Addressee honorific, linguistic ...
honorific, used for someone being talked ''to'', and the latter two are referent honorifics, used for someone being talked ''about''. Sometimes two more categories are also used, for a total of five categories: and , but more often these are included in the above three: as a kind of humble language, as a kind of polite language. These two other categories use the same forms as the general categories, but are used in different contexts, hence differentiated by some linguists. Each type of speech has its own vocabulary and verb endings.
For example, the standard form of the
verb
A verb () is a word ( part of speech) that in syntax generally conveys an action (''bring'', ''read'', ''walk'', ''run'', ''learn''), an occurrence (''happen'', ''become''), or a state of being (''be'', ''exist'', ''stand''). In the usual descr ...
"to do" is ''suru'' (). This form is appropriate with family members and close friends. The polite form of ''suru'', the addressee honorific, is ''shimasu''. This form is appropriate in most daily interactions. When showing respect, such as when talking about a customer or a superior, however, the respectful word ''nasaru'' and its polite form ''nasaimasu'' are used, and when referring to one's own actions or the actions of a group member, the humble word ''itasu'' and its polite form ''itashimasu'' are used. These respectful and humble words are referent honorifics, and thus can coexist with addressee honorific ''-masu''.
Polite language
is characterized by the use of the sentence ending "desu" and the verb ending "-masu" and the use of prefixes such as "o-" and "go-" towards neutral objects. Television presenters invariably use polite language, and it is the form of the language first taught to most non-native learners of Japanese.
Polite language can be used to refer to one's own actions or those of other people.
Respectful language
is a special form or alternative word used when talking about superiors and customers. It is not used to talk about oneself. For example, when a Japanese hairdresser or dentist requests their client to take a seat, they say ''o kake ni natte kudasai'' to mean "please sit down". However, they would use the verb ''suwaru'' る rather than ''o kake ni naru'' to refer to themselves sitting down. The respectful version of language can only be used to refer to others.
In general, respectful language is directed at those in positions of power; for example, a superior at work, or a customer. It also implies that the speaker is acting in a professional capacity.
It is characterized by lengthy polite expressions. Common verbs may be replaced by more polite alternative verbs, for example ''suru'' (do) by ''nasaru'', or ''hanasu'' (talk) by ''ossharu'' when the subject is a person of respect. Some of these transformations are many-to-one: ''iku'' (go), ''kuru'' (come), and ''iru'' (be) all become ''irassharu'', and ''taberu'' (eat) and ''nomu'' (drink) both become ''meshiagaru''.
Verbs may also be changed to respectful forms. One respectful form is a modification of the verb with a prefix and a polite suffix. For example, ''yomu'' (read) becomes ''o-yomi ni naru'', with the prefix ''o-'' added to the i-form of the verb, and the verb ending ''ni naru''. The verb ending ''-(r)areru'' can also be used, such as ''yomareru''.
Nouns also undergo substitution to express respect. The normal Japanese word for person becomes in respectful language. Thus, a customer would normally be expected to be referred to as a ''kata'' rather than a ''hito''.
Humble language
In general, humble language is used when describing one's actions or the actions of a person in one's in-group to others such as customers in business. Humble language tends to imply that one's actions are taking place in order to assist the other person.
is similar to respectful language, in substituting verbs with other forms. For example: ''suru'' (do) becomes ''itasu'', and ''morau'' (receive) becomes ''itadaku''. These two verbs are also seen in
set phrase
Set, The Set, SET or SETS may refer to:
Science, technology, and mathematics Mathematics
*Set (mathematics), a collection of elements
*Category of sets, the category whose objects and morphisms are sets and total functions, respectively
Electro ...
s such as ''dō itashimashite'' (you're welcome) and ''
itadakimasu
Japanese dining etiquette is a set of traditional perceptions governing specific expectations which outlines general standards of how one should behave and respond in various dining situations.
Overview
In Japan, it is customary to say before s ...
'' (いただきます—a phrase said before eating or drinking).
Similar to respectful language, verbs can also change their form by adding a prefix and the verb "suru" or "itasu". For example, ''motsu'' (carry) becomes ''o mochi shimasu''. The use of humble forms may imply doing something for the other person; thus a Japanese person might offer to carry something for someone else by saying ''o mochi shimasu''. This type of humble form also appears in the set phrase ''o matase shimashita'', "I am sorry to have kept you waiting", from ''mataseru'' (make wait) with the addition of ''o'' and ''shimasu''. Similarly, ''o negai shimasu'', "please
o this
O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''o'' (pronounced ), pl ...
, from ''negau'' (request or hope for), again with the addition of ''o'' and ''shimasu''.
Even more politely, the form ''motasete itadaku'' literally means "humbly be allowed to carry". This phrase would be used to express the idea that "I will carry it if you please."
The same forms may also be used when the speaker is not the agent, as a courtesy to the listener, as in the common phrase 電車が参ります (''densha ga mairimasu'' "a train is arriving") at rail stations. In the case, the announcer him or herself is not arriving, but he or she is simply being courteous. Some linguists distinguish this from kenjōgo (where the speaker is the agent), calling it instead teichōgo (丁重語) "courteous language", and defining it formally as:
:Honorifics by which the Speaker shows consideration to the hearer through all expressions of the subject matter.
This category was first proposed by Hiroshi Miyachi (宮地裕). Teichōgo, as an addressee honorific, is always used with the teineigo (''-masu'') form, the politeness sequence (using "go" as an example) being 行く, 行きます, 参ります (''iku'', ''ikimasu'', ''mairimasu'').
In humble language, name suffixes are dropped when referring to people from inside one's group. Thus, Japanese-speaking company executives would introduce themselves and their team by saying "I am Gushiken, the president, and this is Niwa, the CEO."
Similarly to respectful language, nouns can also change. The word , meaning "person", becomes . The humble version is used when referring to oneself or members of one's group, such as one's company.
Respectful verbs
:1 The distinction between these three verbs is lost in some respectful forms.
:2 Both are the humble form of ; it can also be used for related verbs like and .
Word beautification
Word beautification (, , "beautified speech", in also sometimes , , "elegant speech") is the practice of making words more polite or "beautiful". This form of language is employed by the speaker to add refinement to one's manner of speech. This is commonly achieved by adding the prefix or to a word and used in conjunction with the polite form of verbs. In the following example, before and and the polite form of the verb are used to this effect. Generally is used before native Japanese words and is used before
Sino-Japanese words
Sino-Japanese vocabulary, also known as refers to Japanese vocabulary that had originated in Chinese or were created from elements borrowed from Chinese. Some grammatical structures and sentence patterns can also be identified as Sino-Japanese. Si ...
, but there are exceptions.
:
:
: Tea and rice crackers go well (together), don't they?
In finer classifications, the above example is classified as word beautification—rather than honorific speech—as the speaker is voicing a ''general opinion'' regarding tea and rice crackers and is not intentionally deferential towards the ''listener''. In the following example, the speaker is directly referring to the listener and items received by them and is regarded as honorific language:
:
:
: The sweets you gave me were most delectable.
See the section on
honorific prefixes
An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an honorary academic title. It ...
, below, for further discussion.
Usage
Business
Honorifics are considered extremely important in a business setting. Training in honorifics usually does not take place at school or university, so company trainees are trained in correct use of honorifics to customers and superiors.
In groups and out groups
When using polite or respectful forms, the point of view of the speaker is shared by the speaker's ''in-group'' (内 ''uchi''), so in-group referents do not take honorifics. For example, members of one's own company are referred to with humble forms when speaking with an external person; similarly, family members of the speaker are referred to humbly when speaking to guests. Similarly, the ''out-group'' (外 ''soto'') addressee or referent is always mentioned in the polite style (though not necessarily with honorifics).
Mastery of politeness and honorifics is important for functioning in Japanese society. Not speaking politely enough can be insulting, and speaking too politely can be distancing (and therefore also insulting) or seem sarcastic. Children generally speak using plain informal speech, but they are expected to master politeness and honorifics by the end of their teenage years. Recent trends indicate that the importance of proper politeness is not as high as before, particularly in metropolitan areas. The standards are inconsistently applied towards foreigners, though most textbooks attempt to teach the polite style before considering to teach any of the other styles.
Gender differences
Depending on the situation, women's speech may contain more honorifics than men's. In particular, in informal settings, women are more likely to use polite vocabulary and honorific prefixes, such as to mean "eat rice", whereas men may use less polite vocabulary such as with exactly the same meaning. This is part of a general pattern of speech differences by sex. However, in many settings, such as in customer service, there will be little or no difference between male and female speech.
Grammatical overview
Japanese has grammatical functions to express several different pragmatic registers. Not only ''politeness'' but also ''respectfulness'', ''humility'' and ''formality'' can be expressed.
Expressing politeness
There are three levels of politeness, ''plain'' or ''direct'' ( ''futsūtai'' or 常体 ''jōtai''), ''polite'' or ''distal'' (敬体 ''keitai'' or 丁寧 ''teinei''), and ''formal'' (generally, 敬語 ''keigo'' or 最敬体 ''saikeitai''). Formal and polite can be combined. For example, for the sentence "This is a book",
The informal style is used among friends, the distal or polite style by inferiors when addressing superiors and among strangers or casual acquaintances, and the formal style generally in writing or prepared speeches. The plain formal and informal styles of verbs are nearly identical, with a few grammatical differences, such as the verb ''de aru'' being used as a formal copula, and the preferential usage of verb stems to connect clauses instead of the "te form". Formal language in Japanese also uses different vocabulary and structures from informal language.
In some contexts, where both the imperfective (incomplete: present/future) and perfective (complete: past) tenses are acceptable, the perfective is considered more polite. This is only at the completion of an activity; common examples are ありがとうございました ''arigatō gozaimashita'' "thank you (for a completed favor)", ご馳走様でした ''go-chisō-sama deshita'' "it was a feast (for a completed meal)", 失礼しました ''shitsurei shimashita'' "I have been rude (when leaving, after a visit)". For example, when entering someone's office, one conventionally says 失礼します ''shitsurei shimasu,'' as the visit is not complete yet, while when exiting one may say either ''shitsurei shimasu'' or, more politely, 失礼しました ''shitsurei shimashita.'' Many phrases cannot be used in the perfective in this way, as the referent is as yet incomplete. For example, the standard greeting お早うございます ''ohayō gozaimasu'' "Good morning" (lit. "It is early") cannot be said as ×お早うございました *''ohayō gozaimashita'' "It was early", as it is used only during the morning.
Expressing respect
Further to this, there is another factor, respect, which is indicated in yet other ways.
For each politeness level there are two .
#The form shows respect to the subject of the sentence.
#The form gives respect to the ('' direct'' or '' indirect'') ''object'' by a variety of means, the most common being to humble the speaker.
These respectful forms are represented by different verb endings. Since verbs come at the end of the sentence in Japanese, most of the factors of formality, politeness, and respect are expressed at the very end of each sentence.
The ''o-machi-suru'' humble forms carry an implication that the waiting or other activity is being (humbly) done by the speaker for the benefit of the person being addressed. Thus a ''humble'' sentence is unlikely to take a third person subject. For example, a sentence like ''jon ga sensei o o machi suru'' (John waits for the teacher) is unlikely to occur.
Honorific titles
Honorific
An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an honorary academic title. It ...
suffixes and prefixes are used when referring to others in a conversation. They reflect not only the level of politeness chosen, but also the relative social rank or the degree of intimacy between people. For example, a person might refer to their classmate or colleague as ''Asada-san'' ("Mr./Ms. Asada"), but to their little son as ''Hideyo-chan'' ("lil' Hideyo")''.'' Referring to somebody without using a honorific is a sign of great informality or intimacy.
The most common honorifics include:
Requests
Japanese requests and commands have many set forms depending on who is being addressed by whom. For example, the phrase ''yoroshiku o negai shimasu'', meaning "I ask your favor" can take various forms. At the bottom of the scale comes
:''yoroshiku tanomu'',
which might be used between male friends. Its more polite variant
:''yoroshiku tanomimasu''
might be used towards less familiar people or to superiors.
Going up in politeness, the phrase
:''yoroshiku onegai shimasu''
means the same thing, but is used in business settings. It is possible to go further, replacing the polite "shimasu" with the humble ''itashimasu'', to get
:''yoroshiku onegai itashimasu''.
In extremely formal Japanese, such as that used on New Year's greeting cards, this may be replaced with an even more polite expression
:''yoroshiku onegai mōshiagemasu''.
When making requests, at the bottom of the politeness scale comes the plain imperative ''tabero'' or ''kue'', literally "Eat!", a simple order to be said to an inferior or someone considered to have no choice, such as a prisoner. This form might convey anger. Similarly, the "no/n da" suffix can make an order: ''taberu n da'', or ''kuu n da'' "Eat!". To express anger, the suffix ''yagaru'' also exists: "kuiyagare", an extremely forceful and angry instruction to eat, expressing contempt for the addressee.
Negatives are formed by adding suffix ''na'': ''taberu na'' "do not eat", ''gomi o suteru na'': "do not throw away rubbish". Similarly, the negative of ''da'', ''ja nai'', can be used: ''taberu n ja nai''.
More polite, but still strict, is the ''nasai'' suffix, which attaches to the i-form of the verb. This originates in the polite verb ''nasaru''. ''Tabenasai'' thus is an order perhaps given by a parent to a child. This is often colloquially shortened to ''na'', hence ''tabena''. This form has no grammatical negative.
Requests can also be formed by adding to the "te" form of a verb. The plainest form adds ''kure'', an irregular form of the verb ''kureru'', to the te form. For example, ''tabete kure'' or ''kutte kure'': "eat it", less forceful than "tabero". Negatives are made by using the negative "te" form: ''tabenaide kure'' or ''kuwanaide kure'' "don't eat it".
Going up one scale in politeness, the more polite verb ''kudasai'' is added. For example, ''tabete kudasai''. With this polite form, the rough ''kū'' verb is unlikely to be used. Similarly, ''tabenaide kudasai'': "please don't eat it".
A similar entry on the scale of politeness is made by using the imperative form of a polite verb. For example, ''meshiagaru'', the polite verb for "to eat", when turned into ''meshiagare'', the imperative, becomes the response to the set phrase ''itadakimasu''.
Further, more polite forms are also possible. These involve the "i-form" of the verb rather than the "te form", and an honorific prefix (see honorific prefixes: verbs, below). Beyond simply increased politeness, this form is more formal, and is used when addressing a group, or as a general instruction, rather than directed at a particular person. For example, ''tsukau'', "use", becomes ''o tsukai kudasai'': "please use this". In the case of phrasal verbs the honorific ''o'' appears before the entire phrase, not simply the verb, as in , from . Politeness can be carried even further by conjugating kudasaru into its masu form and using the imperative, which becomes "o tsukai kudasaimase." The most polite form of this would probably be along the lines of "o tsukai ni natte itadakimasen deshou ka." "You will probably not bestow the favor of honorably using this?" Language like this, however, is rarely used.
Other ways to increase politeness involve indirection of the request: ''kore o tsukau you ni o negai shimasu'': "I humbly request that you think about using this".
Honorific prefixes
The ''bikago'' (beautifying) prefixes ''o-'' (お〜) and ''go-'' (ご〜) (both written with the character 御- in
kanji
are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...
) are honorific prefixes which are applied to nouns and in some contexts to verbs. In general, ''go-'' (the on'yomi) precedes
Sino-Japanese words
Sino-Japanese vocabulary, also known as refers to Japanese vocabulary that had originated in Chinese or were created from elements borrowed from Chinese. Some grammatical structures and sentence patterns can also be identified as Sino-Japanese. Si ...
(that is, words borrowed from Chinese or made from Sino-Japanese elements), while ''o-'' (the kun'yomi) precedes native Japanese words. There are many exceptions, however, where the ''o-'' prefix is used for Sino-Japanese words, including お茶 ''o-cha'' "tea", お大事に ''o-daiji-ni'' "get well", お電話 ''o-denwa'' "telephone", お稽古 ''o-keiko'' "practice", お宅 ''o-taku'' "home/you", and many others. There is also one common exception for the ''go-'' prefix, ごゆっくり ''go-yukkuri'' "slowly", where the main word is clearly not of Chinese origin.
These prefixes are used for two purposes: to speak respectfully about a stranger or social superior's family, belongings, or actions (as part of 尊敬語, sonkeigo); or to speak in a generally refined or polite way (敬語 ''keigo'' generally, specifically 美化語, ''bikago'').
Prefix usage
Although these honorific prefixes are often translated into English as "honorable" ("o-denwa," for example, would be given as "the honorable telephone") this translation is unwieldy and cannot convey the true feeling of their use in Japanese. These prefixes are essentially untranslatable, but their use indicates a polite respect for the item named or the person to or about whom one is speaking. A shorter translation is "dear"—for example, ''o-ko-san'', お子さん, translates idiomatically as "your dear child"—and a similar sentiment is expressed in such English expressions as "Would you '' care for a spot of'' tea?" or "Would you ''care for a little'' tea?" (as opposed to the plain "Would you ''like some'' tea?").
As with honorific word forms and titles, honorific prefixes are used when referring to or speaking with a social superior, or speaking about a superior's actions or possessions, but not usually when referring to oneself or one's own actions or possessions, or those of one's in-group.
For example, when referring to one's own order at a restaurant, one would use ''chūmon'', but when referring to a customer's order, the restaurant staff would use ''go-chūmon''. Similarly, ''kazoku'' means "my family," while ''go-kazoku'' means "your family" (or, broadly speaking, someone else's family).
There are some words which frequently or always take these prefixes, regardless of who is speaking and to whom; these are often ordinary items which may have particular cultural significance, such as tea (''o-cha'') and rice (''go-han''). The word ''meshi'', the Japanese equivalent of Sino-Japanese ''go-han'', is considered rough and masculine ( 男性語). The honorific ''o-'' is also sometimes attached to of native verbs (hence native ''o-'') to refer to a specific item associated with the verb, as in
oshibori
An ''oshibori'' ( or ''Kenkyusha's ( Bojidar e pedal ) New Japanese-English Dictionary'', ), or hot towel in English, is a wet hand towel offered to customers in places such as restaurants or bars, and used to clean one's hands before eating. ''O ...
(お絞り、絞る) "hot towel", and
onigiri
, also known as , , or rice ball, is a Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or cylindrical shapes and often wrapped in ''nori''. Traditionally, an onigiri is filled with pickled ume (''umeboshi''), salted salmon, katsuob ...
/omusubi (お握り、握る and お結び、結ぶ) "rice ball".
In rare cases, both a base form and honorific are in use with different readings. A notable example is 利益 ''ri-eki'' "benefit, profit (e.g., business)" and 御利益 ''go-ri-yaku'' "divine favor, grace"; plain ''ri-yaku'' is sometimes used, but ''go-ri-eki'' is generally not. The former, an everyday term, uses the usual kan-on reading, while the later, a specialized religious term, uses the older
go-on
are one of the several possible ways of reading Japanese kanji. They are based on the classical pronunciations of Chinese characters of the then- prestigious eastern Jiankang (now Nanjing) dialect.
''Go-on'' preceded the readings. Both ''go-on ...
reading.
Honorific prefixes can be used for other items, possibly for a comic or sarcastic effect (for example, ''o-kokakōra'', "honorable Coca-Cola"). Overuse of honorific prefixes may be taken as pretentious or simpering, and, as with other polite speech, they are more used by women than men.
In tea ceremony, common ingredients and equipment always take the honorific ''o-'' or ''go-'', including water (''o-mizu''), hot water (''o-yu''), and tea bowls (''o-chawan''). However, these terms are often heard in daily life as well.
Foreign
loanword
A loanword (also loan word or loan-word) is a word at least partly assimilated from one language (the donor language) into another language. This is in contrast to cognates, which are words in two or more languages that are similar because t ...
s (
gairaigo
is Japanese for " loan word", and indicates a transcription into Japanese. In particular, the word usually refers to a Japanese word of foreign origin that was not borrowed in ancient times from Old or Middle Chinese (especially Literary Chine ...
, except those that come from Chinese; see above) seldom take honorifics, but when they do ''o-'' seems to be preferable to ''go-''. Examples are ''o-bīru'' (''bīru'': beer), which can sometimes be heard at restaurants, ''o-kādo'' (''kādo'': card, as in credit card or point card), which is often heard at supermarkets and department stores, and ''o-sōsu'' (''sōsu'': sauce).
Verbs
For verbs, a respectful request—or rather a polite command—addressed to a group may be formed by using 御〜, followed by the ''masu''-stem (連用形), followed by . For Chinese verbs (kango + ''suru''), the prefix is generally pronounced ''go-,'' while for native Japanese verbs the prefix is pronounced ''o-.'' This is generally written in kana. The most commonly heard use is (Chinese verb), which is used pervasively in recorded announcement in Japan (escalators, trains and subways, turning trucks), but other verbs are also used frequently, such as (Japanese verb).
The respectful prefix can also be used in honorific verbs, when speaking about a superior, in which case it is formed by ''o-,'' followed by the ''masu''-stem, followed by (suitably conjugated), as in .
Female names
''O-'' was also commonly used as an honorific prefix to female given names in pre-war Japan, particularly in combination with dropping common suffixes such as -ko (-こ) (-子, literally "child"). For example, would be referred to as , would become , would become , and so on. This was a less polite honorific than "san". For example, a female servant named ''Kikuko'' would be referred to as ''O-kiku'' rather than ''Kikuko-san''. This usage has disappeared in current Japanese, and has been replaced by using the diminutive suffix ''-chan'' instead (compare to male ''-kun''), as in ''Aki-chan'' for ''Akiko''.
Rare forms
There is also a rarer prefix ''mi-'' (kun'yomi), which is mostly used in words related to gods and the emperor, such as ''mi-koshi'' (御輿, "portable shrine" in
Shinto
Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...
) and ''mi-na'' (御名, "the Holy Name" in
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
). However, in this context it is often replaced by 神 ("god", also pronounced ''mi-''), and then a further 御 (pronounced お-, ''o-'') may be added, as in 御神輿 (''o-mi-koshi''). Sometimes the reading is ambiguous—for example, 御霊屋 "mausoleum" may be pronounced either ''mi-tama-ya'' or ''o-tama-ya''. When pronounced as ''mi-,'' the prefix is usually written in kanji (unlike ''o-'' and ''go-'', which are very frequently hiragana), but in some case it is written in hiragana, with a notable example being ''mi-hotoke'' (御仏, "Lord Buddha") often being written as み仏, partly to avoid confusion with the incorrect reading *''go-butsu''.
The honorific prefix generally does not fall in the middle. In compounds, where the honorific would fall in the middle, the honorific is almost always dropped. For example, お茶/御茶 ''o-cha'' "tea", but 麦茶 ''mugi-cha'' "barley tea", not ×麦お茶/麦御茶 *''mugi-o-cha''. There are exceptions, however, such as 乾御門 ''inui-go-mon'' "northwest gate (to imperial palace)"; note that 乾門 ''inui-mon'' "northwest gate (generally)" is also used.
Rarely, 御 is used instead as an honorific ''suffix,'' notably in 甥御 ''oigo'' "your nephew" and 姪御 ''meigo'' "your niece".
The character 御 has other readings, notably ''on'' (kun'yomi) and ''gyo'' (on'yomi), as seen in and , but these are not productive (they are not used to form new words, but only in existing words).
Another prefix, pronounced ''o-'' (お〜) and potentially confused with 御〜 when written in hiragana, is 阿〜 ''o-'', which also has affectionate connotations, but is a separate term and not productive. It was previously used for endearment for women's names, and today is most notable in 阿多福/阿亀 (''o-ta-fuku,'' ''o-kame'', "moon-faced woman, homely woman"), which are frequently written as お多福/お亀, which may be mistaken (partially) for hiragana forms of ×御多福/×御亀. The character 阿 is more frequently pronounced ''a,'' and used especially in words and names from Sanskrit, such as the ''a'' in the syllable "
aum
''Om'' (or ''Aum'') (; sa, ॐ, ओम्, Ōṃ, translit-std=IAST) is a sacred sound, syllable, mantra, or an invocation in Hinduism. ''Om'' is the prime symbol of Hinduism.Krishna Sivaraman (2008), ''Hindu Spirituality Vedas Through Ved ...
", hence unfamiliar in this use, creating the potential for confusion.
In one case, a triple honorific prefix may used, namely in the word ''o-mi-o-tsuke,'' a polite term for
miso soup
is a traditional Japanese soup consisting of a dashi stock into which softened miso paste is mixed. In addition, there are many optional ingredients (various vegetables, tofu, '' abura-age'', etc.) that may be added depending on regional a ...
, which is ordinarily referred to as . This may be spelt in kanji in multiple ways, including , but also as (味 = ''mi,'' flavor), and the 御御御〜 spelling may be considered
ateji
In modern Japanese, principally refers to kanji used to phonetically represent native or borrowed words with less regard to the underlying meaning of the characters. This is similar to in Old Japanese. Conversely, also refers to kanji use ...
, punning on 御 and 味 both having the reading ''mi''.
English analogs
While English has different registers, its levels of formality and politeness are not as formalized or as clearly defined as in Japanese. However, they can be instructive in gaining a feel for Japanese speech. English imperatives range from very blunt ("Give me the book"), to very indirect and elaborate ("If it's not too much trouble, could you please be so kind as to pass me the book?"—note the use of potential form, as in Japanese).
Similarly, changes in word use can make language more flowery or respectful—rather than "Do you know?", one might say "Are you familiar with?" or "Are you acquainted with?", which convey some of the feel of 知る ''shiru'' versus ご存知だ ''go-zonji da''. In English, words of Germanic origin are generally plainer, those from French are generally more flowery (compare "drink" versus "beverage"), and those from Latin are more formal and technical (see Anglish and related articles); similarly in Japanese, words of Japanese origin are plainer, while words of Chinese origin are more formal. These are not hard-and-fast rules, but they give a feel for the gradations.
Humble language is less common in modern English, but is found in some contexts, such as guests saying "I am ''honored'' to be here," (rather than "I am ''glad'' to be here" or "I am ''happy'' to be here") and in various
Some convenience stores and fast-food restaurants teach their young and part-time employees to verbally interact with customers in strictly prescribed ways laid down in instruction manuals. These forms of speech are known as マニュアル敬語 (''manyuaru keigo'', "manual keigo") or バイト敬語 (''baito keigo'', "part-timer keigo"). Manual keigo includes forms which would be considered incorrect or at least non-standard in terms of traditional usage (keigo and otherwise). A common example is ''udon ni narimasu'' (literally "
his
His or HIS may refer to:
Computing
* Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company
* Honeywell Information Systems
* Hybrid intelligent system
* Microsoft Host Integration Server
Education
* Hangzhou International School, in ...
becomes
udon
Udon ( or ) is a thick noodle made from wheat flour, used in Japanese cuisine. It is a comfort food for many Japanese people. There are a variety of ways it is prepared and served. Its simplest form is in a hot soup as with a mild broth called ...
", "
his
His or HIS may refer to:
Computing
* Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company
* Honeywell Information Systems
* Hybrid intelligent system
* Microsoft Host Integration Server
Education
* Hangzhou International School, in ...
will be udon") as a polite form of ''udon desu'' ("
his
His or HIS may refer to:
Computing
* Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company
* Honeywell Information Systems
* Hybrid intelligent system
* Microsoft Host Integration Server
Education
* Hangzhou International School, in ...
is udon"), instead of the standard ''udon de gozaimasu'' ("
his
His or HIS may refer to:
Computing
* Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company
* Honeywell Information Systems
* Hybrid intelligent system
* Microsoft Host Integration Server
Education
* Hangzhou International School, in ...
is udon (polite)")—this manual keigo form is often criticized on the basis that the udon is not "becoming" anything, and therefore ''ni naru'' is incorrect, both as keigo and more generally.
See also
*
Aizuchi
In the Japanese language, aizuchi ( ja, 相槌, links=no or , ) are interjections during a conversation that indicate the listener is paying attention or understands the speaker. In linguistic terms, these are a form of phatic expression. Aizuch ...
(相槌 ''aizuchi'')
*
Japanese grammar
Japanese is an agglutinative, synthetic, mora-timed language with simple phonotactics, a pure vowel system, phonemic vowel and consonant length, and a lexically significant pitch-accent. Word order is normally subject–object–verb with p ...
*
Japanese language
is spoken natively by about 128 million people, primarily by Japanese people and primarily in Japan, the only country where it is the national language. Japanese belongs to the Japonic or Japanese- Ryukyuan language family. There have been ...
*
Japanese names
in modern times consist of a family name (surname) followed by a given name, in that order. Nevertheless, when a Japanese name is written in the Roman alphabet, ever since the Meiji era, the official policy has been to cater to Western expecta ...
*
Japanese pronouns
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspo ...
*
Korean honorifics
The Korean language has a system of honorifics that recognizes and reflects the hierarchical social status of participants with respect to the subject and/or the object and/or the audience. Speakers use honorifics to indicate their social rel ...
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Honorifics (linguistics)
In linguistics, an honorific (abbreviated ) is a grammatical or morphosyntactic form that encodes the relative social status of the participants of the conversation. Distinct from honorific titles, linguistic honorifics convey formality , soci ...
*
Thai honorifics Honorifics are a class of words or grammatical morphemes that encode a wide variety of social relationships between interlocutors or between interlocutors and referents.Foley, William. ''Anthropological Linguistics: An Introduction''. Oxford: Blac ...
*
Japanese etiquette
Etiquette in Japan forms common societal expectations of social behavior practiced throughout the nation of Japan. The etiquette of Japan has changed greatly over the millennia as different civilizations influenced its culture. Modern Japanese et ...