お and ご
お and ご are put before nouns/ Adjectives/adverbs/verb stems to make them “pretty”. It makes the word sound more refined or sophisticated.
お is typically used before words with Japanese readings, and ご before words with a Chinese reading. They are almost never used with カタカナ words.
In Normal Speech
In normal speech, お and ご usually only go in front of nouns.
There are a few different types of nouns that get this お・ご:
Nouns that need お/ご; お/ご as part of the word.
- おなか – Stomach
- おにぎり – Rice ball
- ごはん – Food/rice
- おせわ – “In your care”
- おばけ – Ghost/monster
Nouns that may use お. These are typically words that could be seen as sophisticated. A slight nuance of “good” “nice” “pretty” or “proper” is added when using お vs without.
- お花 – “Nice” flowers
- お水 – “Good” water
- お茶 – “Nice” tea (almost always has お）
Nouns that are dirty may use お or ご to make them more palatable/pretty.
- おしり – Butt
- おなら – Gas (Fart)
- おてあらい – Toilet
- おしっこ – Pee pee
In Normal speech, except for words that must or commonly use お and ご、they are more frequently used by women rather than men.
In Respectful/Humble Speech
In formal speech (そんけいご、けんじょうご）, they tend to be used with the object of a verb. Since they make the object prettier, they can (usually) be either Respectful or Humble. (the verb communicates respect/humility)
- ご意見を伺います – Ask for a “good” opinion.
- 先生にお電話をお掛けします – Call my teacher
- 先生からのご連絡でございます – Get a call from my teacher.
They may also be used for adjectives describing other people. (due to the “beauty” nuance)
- お忙しいところに申し訳ございません – I’m terribly sorry to bother you when you are busy.
- ごゆっくりなさってください – Please relax sir
- おくつろぎのところを申し訳ございません。I’m sorry to bother you while you’re relaxing.
They are required with 敬語 verbs.
Source 1 (Japanese)
Source 2 (Japanese)