Special honorific verbs
Respectful verbs for common actions
You'll be able to recognize and use special respectful forms for actions such as going, saying, seeing, and eating.
先生がいらっしゃいます。
sensei ga irasshaimasu.
What do you think this sentence means?
The teacher is here.
Recognize special respectful verbs
Some frequent actions have established honorific replacements. They respectfully describe another person’s action rather than merely adding polite ます.
Respectful action
いらっしゃる respects another person’s movement or presence; polite いらっしゃいます.
行く・来る・いる → いらっしゃる
iku・kuru・iru → irassharu
go / come / be
おっしゃる respects another person’s speech; polite おっしゃいます.
言う → おっしゃる
iu → ossharu
say
なさる respects another person’s action; polite なさいます.
する → なさる
suru → nasaru
do
召し上がる respects the person eating or drinking.
食べる・飲む → 召し上がる
taberu・nomu → meshiagaru
eat / drink
ご覧になる is the established respectful counterpart of 見る.
見る → ご覧になる
miru → goran ni naru
look / watch
くださる respects the giver; polite くださいます.
くれる → くださる
kureru → kudasaru
give to me / my side
Form and use Special honorific verbs
行く/来る/いる→いらっしゃる; 言う→おっしゃる; する→なさる; 食べる/飲む→召し上がる; 見る→ご覧になる; くれる→くださる. Learn the special polite forms いらっしゃいます, おっしゃいます, なさいます, くださいます.
何を召し上がりますか。
nani o meshiagarimasu ka.
What would you like to eat or drink?
先生はそうおっしゃいました。
sensei wa sou osshaimashita.
That is what the teacher said.
社長は今、会議室にいらっしゃいます。
shachou wa ima, kaigishitsu ni irasshaimasu.
The company president is in the meeting room now.
先生が「明日は授業が休みです」とおっしゃいました。
sensei ga "ashita wa jugyou ga yasumi desu" to osshaimashita.
The teacher said, "There's no class tomorrow."
お客様、何を召し上がりますか。
okyakusama, nani o meshiagarimasu ka.
What would you like to have?
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