You have probably come across Japanese words that start with "o - お" like okane, ocha, ogenki or that end with "go - ご" like goyukkuri.
But have you ever wondered why the Japanese use these honorifics before some words? When do they use each one? In which words to use? In this article, we will clear up all these doubts.
The name of these honorifics is called bikago (美化語), which means language of beautification. As the name suggests, these honorifics are used to beautify words, expressing respect and courtesy, making the speech sound more refined, raising the tone for a well-educated style.
Table of Content
お vs ご
The honorific お(o) is added to words, regardless of their origin. Even words of foreign origin, such as ズボン, can have お added before them. The お can be used in nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. On the other hand, the honorific ご is used in few words, and only in words of Chinese origin.
But do not be confident and try to use these honorifics in any word. Listen carefully to the natives, learn a lot of vocabulary, and you will know which words to use the honorific on.
Bikago 美化語
The bikago is not just the use of お or ご but there are other honorifics which are: み-, おみ- and おんみ (mi-, omi-, onmi-) but they are only used in words with religious or imperial importance. Such is the case with the word 子 (ko - Child) when adding the honorific み = み子 means "child of god". I don't think it's a coincidence that priestesses are called Miko (巫女).
Some words are almost or always accompanied with honorific prefixes. To know if a word is always used with honorific, try to find it in the dictionary without the honorific, some words change completely without using it.
In some words the use of the honorific can completely change the meaning of the word, or the pronunciation of it with honorific:
| Word | Meaning | Word with Bikago | Meaning |
| 八つ (hatsu) | Eight | お八つ(Oyatsu) | Afternoon tea |
| 飯 (hashi) | Rice | ご飯 (gohan) | Snack |
| 主人 (shujin) | Householder | ご主人 | someone's husband |
| 家族 (kazoku) | Family | ご家族 | someone's family |
| 釣り (tsuri) | Fishing | お釣り | Exchange money, change |
| 絞る (shiboru) | twist, squeeze | お絞る | Hand towel |
| 汁（shiru) | soup, juice | お汁 (otsuyu) | broth, sauce |
| 腹 (hara) | Stomach | お腹 (Onaka) | Stomach |
| 化け | illegible, transform | お化け | ghost, monster |
In other cases, the words are similar or have the same meaning but are spelled differently when using the honorific:
| 水⇒ お冷 | ice water |
| うまい ⇒ おいしい | yummy, delicious |
| 便所 ⇒ お手洗い | Bathroom |
Examples
There are many words that use honorifics, we will leave more examples below, and some sentences for you to study more in-depth the bikago which has great importance in the Japanese language.
| Japanese | Meaning | Japanese | Meaning |
| お名前 (Onamae) | Your name | ごゆっくり (Goyukkuri) | Relax, Tranquility |
| お茶 (Ocha) | Tea | お世辞 (Oseji) | Flatter, praise |
| お元気 (Ogenki) | How are you? | お金 (Okane) | Money |
| お庭 (Oniwa) | Garden | お天気 (Otenki) | Weather |
| お飲み物 (Onomimono) | Drinks | お菓子 (Okashi) | Sweets |
| お食事 (Oshokuji) | Snack | お店 (Omise0 | Shops |
| お料理 (Oryōri) | cooking / dishes | ご祝儀 (Goshukugi) | Congratulatory Award |
| ご機嫌 (Gokigen) | Humor | ご挨拶 (Goaisatsu) | Greetings |
| ご結婚 (Gokekkon) | Marriage | ご連絡 (Gorenraku) | Contact |
It is important to remember again that not always the words will use honorifics, and that one should not use them in any word, and that honorifics can completely change the meaning of words.
Here's an example of a sentence where the word is spoken with and without the honorific:
O-namae wa nan desu ka.
お名前はなんですか.
What is your name?
Watashi no namae wa Miki desu.
私の名前は美樹です.
My name is Miki.
Below is an example of the honorific お being used in a noun, adjective and adverb:
O-tanjoubi Omedetou.
お誕生日おめでとう。
Noun: Happy birthday.
O mizu o nonde kudasai.
お水を飲んでください。
Noun: Please, drink your water.
O-genki desu ka.
お元気ですか。
Adjective: How are you?
Douzo go-yukkuri.
どうぞごゆっくり。
Adverb Take your time.
O-naka ga itai.
お腹が痛い。
Noun: My belly (stomach) hurts.
Did you like the article? Share it with your friends! Do you know any other words that have the honorific "Bikago"?