Keigo Verbs

This page explains how to make polite, humble, and respectful forms of verbs for Keigo.

Polite Verbs

ます Form

This is the ます form we learned in N5

• ケーキを食べます
  Eat a cake.
  
  
• 酒を飲みます
  Drink alcohol. 
  
  

Humble Verbs

Humble Verbs (Use with self)
お + ます Verb stem + する

お/ご + verb stem + する is used to make けんじょうご (humble) language.
けんじょうご is used about yourself or your group.

Basic Pattern:
お + ます Stem + する
ご + する Verb + する

Humble verbs frame a verb as “to do”, such as “to do waiting”. 

Examples

• お持ちします
   I will carry it (for you, sir).
  
  
• お待ちします
  I will wait (for you, ma’am.
  
  
• お送りします
  (Humbly) sent to you (you see this a lot with sponsors of a tv show, etc)
  
  
• ご案内します
  I will guide you 
  
  

Respectful Verbs

Respectful Verbs (Use with others)
お + ます Verb stem + になる

お/ご + ます verb stem +になる is used to make そんけいご (Respectful) language. 
そんけいご is used about other people.

Respectful speech frames verbs as a state that came to be. 

Basic Pattern:
お + ます Stem + になる
ご + する Verb + になる

ご is typically used for Chinese readings; which usually means する verbs. 

Examples

• お持ちになりました
   Gentlemen came to be holding it. – Respectful 
  
  
• お待ちになっています
  The Ladies have come to be waiting. – Respectful
  
  
• お座りになっています
  They have come to be sitting.
  
  
  

Passive Respectful

The passive voice can also be used to make respectful (そんけいご) language. The reason is because the passive describes a state, just like になる. However, It’s a little lazy and is not quite as respectful as お+になる. 

• 切られますか？
  Are you going to cut it? (Is it going to be cut?)
  
  
• 飲まれますか 
  Are you going to drink it? (Is it going to be drunk?)
  
  
  

Irregular Verbs Chart

Unfortunately, there are quite a few irregular verbs that don’t use the above pattern. They are mostly common verbs. Special forms on the table below should be prioritized; however you may get by (Although it will be a little unnatural) if you use the お + verb pattern.  

^{(Pulled partly from wiki)}

Examples

• 先生はいらっしゃいますか？
  Is the teacher here?
  
  
• 先生が「宿題を忘れないように」とおっしゃいました
  The teacher said “don’t forget your homework”. 
  
  
• 待っている→お待ちしている→お待ちしております (Humble)
  
  
• 待っている→おまちになっている→お待ちになっていらっしゃる (Respectful)
  
  Note: While お待ちになっていらっしゃる is correct, its quite long and is usually お待ちになっています。(You also probably won’t say this to the person in question) (Source)
  
  

Common Mistakes

There is such as thing as too much. There are 2 common errors with respectful/humble speech; even amongst Japanese people:

Double Keigo

Double Keigo (二重敬語) refers to applying the same type of keigo to a verb more than once. 
Changing the する into いたす is not considered double keigo, but is still generally avoided (see below)

Quick rules:
Don’t change お+になる into お+になれる
Don’t use special form verbs with お＋になる

Examples

• お召し上がりになられる 
  Special form + お になる + Passive. ✖✖
  
  
• お飲みになられますか
  になる + Passive ✖
  
  
• お召しになられる
  になる + Special form ✖
  
  
• お送りします
  I’ll send it. (Humble)　〇
  
  
• お送りいたします
   I’ll send it (Even more Humble) 〇
  
  

Advanced Note

*お＋いたす is allowed, but お＋なれる is not, due a technicality in humble speech that you really don’t need to know. (Related to whether it humbles you or is an action directed at someone above you). If you may read what is basically an online textbook on this topic here (Japanese only). That being said if you follow the rules listed here or in most textbooks, or just copy Japanese people, you will be fine. 

A Briefer Source (二重敬語）

Too Polite

Being too polite is another problem. It can lead to double Keigo, and even if done correctly, can sound disingenuous or satirical of the other person, especially if you exceed the situation. Unfortunately, this sometimes depends on the person. 

• (After doing a small favor taking less than 10 seconds) 
  大変お待たせいたしました。お持ちいたしました。
  I’m terribly sorry to have made you wait, here is the item you requested sir. (sounds like please don’t kill me)

At my hotel, we were instructed to use お持ちしました and not お持ちいたしました when bringing stuff to a guests room, to avoid seeming too polite. 

Respectfulness without politeness

Since politeness (丁寧語) and respect (そんけいご・けんじょうご） are separate it is possible to be respectful without being polite; however this is unlikely.

• お持ちする – I will carry it (respectful, but not polite)
• お持ちになる – (They) came to be holding it. (Respectful, but not polite).

However, the opposite (politeness without respect) happens all the time.

• 食べます – I will eat
• 飲みます – I will drink. 

See also Keigo Nouns, お and ご, and Keigo Requests