Keigo – Formality in the Japanese Language

I think everyone knows the discipline and education of the Japanese, there is a huge cultural difference between the Japanese and Brazilians, the level of formality is almost absent among us while it is exaggerated among the Japanese, including in the Japanese language.

As much as Japan has been westernizing in recent years, there is still a great hierarchy, where there are different types of formality according to the person's social level.

In the Japanese language there is the keigo (敬語) which is used to converse formally with people of different levels. Using different vocabulary and structures and expressions. O Keigo It is divided into 3 categories the Polite, Respectful and Humble.

Simple form

Before we talk about the 3 Keigo, it is worth remembering that there is also the simple and informal form, which is common to be used with people you already have an intimacy with (relatives, friends), this form is known as dictionary form, for it presents the words at their root, in the simplest form.

Example: the verb “to eat” in the simple form is 食べる (TABERU)

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丁寧語 – Teineigo – Educated

This is the keigo most used is considered the standard of formality, you will normally use with people of a higher social status than you. This keigo shows courtesy or respect for the person addressed. This includes the structures “masu” and “desu”.

We use it when talking to people we don't know, people we're not intimate with, elders and superiors or anyone we want to show respect to (your boss, your teacher). This is often the way foreigners are taught to speak Japanese, as it is ideal for everyday interactions; it is also the form most used by newspapers and television news.

Example: the verb “to eat” in the polite form is 食べます (TABEMASU)

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尊敬語 –  Sonkeigo – Respectful

It is commonly called the Honorable Form. This Keigo is used when addressing or speaking to people far above our hierarchy, such as superiors and clients, usually people in positions of power.

Much used by receptionists of stores, markets, pharmacies, clerks, proletariat of the genre. You may have already come across the expression いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase), which customers hear when entering a commercial establishment.

Its function is to honor and exalt the person we speak of, almost as if we idolized him; therefore, this form should NEVER be used to talk about ourselves and our own actions!

Example: the verb “to eat” in the honorific form is 召しあがる (MESHI AGARU)

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謙譲語 – Kenjougo – Humilde

Commonly called the Form of Humility, this is the type of formality used by customers when addressing those who serve them. It can also be used when asking something as formally as possible to someone the speaker considers superior, or worthy of respect, as for example, in the expression that many may already know: よろしくお願いします (yoroshiku onegai shimasu), in which the the speaker formally asks the listener to be kind, or as we translate “nice to meet you”.

This keigo is used when we talk about ourselves or the group we belong to, but putting ourselves in a position of extreme humility towards the listener, diminishing ourselves. Usually this speech implies that our actions are aimed at satisfying, helping or serving the listener, so it is very common to hear merchants and store attendants using it.

Example: the verb “to eat” in the humble form is 頂く(ITADAKU)

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The verbs

It may seem complicated, because it's hard enough to learn one word for everything, imagine four? Only time, and life in Japan can make you get used to keigo, even the Japanese have difficulty, but it's worth studying, so you don't get lost when reading or talking to someone, memorize at least some verbs I'm leaving the list below:

Verb	Simple	sonkeigo	Kenjogo	Teineigo
see and look	見る; miru	ご覧になるgo-ran ni naru	拝見するsuru Haiken	見ます mimasu
Know	会う au	.お会いになるo-ai ni naru	お目にかかるo-me or Kakaru	会います aimasu
To be a	ある aru			ござるgozaru
	いる iru	いらっしゃるirassharu おいでになるo-ide ni naru	おるoru	おるoru
come / go	来る kuru (come) 行く Iku (go)		伺う ukagau 参る Mairu	参るMairu
Saber	知る shiru	ご存じ go-zonji	存じあげる zonji ageru	存じている Zonjite iru
Eat Drink	食べる taberu (to eat) 飲む nomu (drink/drink)	召しあがる-meshi-agaru	頂く itadaku	頂く itadaku
To receive	もらう Morau		頂く itadaku 頂戴する Chodai-suru	もらいます moraimasu
To give (make, bring) When you do the action.	やる yaru (considered rude today, except in Kansai dialect) あげる ageru (once the humble form)		差しあげる sashiageru	あげます agemasu
To giveWhen another does the deed.	くれる kureru	くださる Kudasaru		くれます kuremasu
do / do	する suru	なさる nasaru	致す itasu	します shimasu
To say	言う iu	おっしゃる ossharu	申し上げる Moshi-ageru 申すMOSU	言います iimasu
To use	着る kiru	お召しになる omeshi ni naru		着ます kimasu
To sleep	寝る neru	お休みになる O yasumi ni naru		休みます Yasumimasu
To die	死ぬ Shinu	お亡くなりになる O nakunari ni naru		亡くなる Nakunaru

Finally, let's look at some examples and phrases using Keigo.

The first example shows the phrase "This is a book" at different levels of formality.

Informal	Educated	Formal	polite and formal
これは本だ kore wa hon da.	これは本ですkore wa hon desu.	これは本である kore wa hon de aru.	これは本でございます kore wa hon de gozaimasu.

The second example has been showing how to do requests or commands. There are several different ways of formality for some occasions, let's show the famous phrase to interact and ask for a favor or friendship.

1. よろしく 頼む / yoroshiku tanomu (to be used between male friends, polite)
2. よろしく 頼みます / yoroshiku tanomimasu (Familiar people)
3. よろしく お願い します / yoroshiku onegai shimasu (polite)
4. よろしく お願い 致します。 / yoroshiku onegai itashimasu. (Humble)
5. よろしく お願い 申し上げます。 / yoroshiku onegai mōshiagemasu. (extremely formal)

Of course there are many other things not mentioned in this article that are related to the keigo, such as Japanese honorifics or suffixes. Keigo is a very big subject to be studied, in the future other articles on this subject will be created. I hope you enjoyed.

Sources: Mainichi Nihongo / Wiki