All Blogs
Do You Really Need JLPT N2 for Gijinkoku Visa? Full Explanation (No Confusion) Japan Work Visa New Rules 2026: What Changed for Gijinkoku Visa? How to Renew a Japan Work Visa — How to Fill the Application Form + Complete Guide (Excel/PDF Download) Practical Guide to Landing IT Jobs in Japan Without Japanese Skills How I Found My First Web Developer Job in Japan Without Speaking Japanese Japan Work Visa Requirements: What You Need to Know The Best Cities to Work in Japan for Foreigners Hand-Cash Jobs in Japan: Timing, Risks & Visa Impact Top 10 Companies Hiring Foreigners in Japan Right Now
Menu

← All Lessons 26–50

Minna no Nihongo - Lesson 50

Complete Keigo Grammar Guide

Humble language (謙譲語けんじょうご), polite language (丁寧語ていねいご), uchi/soto thinking, special humble verbs, business expressions, and practical keigo usage.

Core idea: Lesson 49 mainly raises the other person's action through 尊敬語そんけいご. Lesson 50 teaches how to lower or humble your own side through 謙譲語けんじょうご. Both communicate respect, but the direction is different.

1. The three major types of keigo

尊敬語そんけいご

Honorific / respectful language

Raises the action or state of the person you respect.

謙譲語けんじょうご

Humble language

Lowers your own action, or the action of someone on your side, toward the person being respected.

丁寧語ていねいご

Polite language

Makes the sentence itself polite, such as です, ます, ございます, and でございます.

Very important: “polite” and “humble” are not the same thing. is polite. is humble. Both are polite in tone, but いたします also lowers the speaker's action.

2. 内うち and 外そと — the key to Japanese keigo

To use humble language correctly, it helps to understand the Japanese uchi/soto relationship.

内うち — “inside / my side”

Depending on the situation, this can include:

  • yourself
  • your family
  • your company
  • your team or organization

外そと — “outside / the other side”

Depending on the situation, this can include:

  • customers
  • clients
  • people from another company
  • people outside your current group
In business Japanese, your boss is normally someone you respect. However, when speaking to a client about your own boss, your boss becomes part of your uchi. Therefore, you may use humble language for your boss's action.

Talking to a client about your boss

Shachō wa hachiji ni mairimasu.

Our company president will come/go at 8:00.

Common beginner mistake: “My boss is higher than me, so I must always use honorific language for my boss.” Not necessarily. When talking to a customer or external company, your boss belongs to your side, so humble language is often used for the boss's action.

3. お / ご + Verb stem + します — the basic humble pattern

お + Verb stem + します

For many Group 1 and Group 2 verbs, humble language can be formed by:

  1. Take the ます form.
  2. Remove ます to get the verb stem.
  3. Add お before the stem.
  4. Add します.
Normal polite verb Stem Humble form Meaning
I will carry it for you.
I will inform you.
I will escort/send you.
I will lend it to you.
This pattern is used when your action is directed toward or affects the person you respect. That relationship is important. It is not simply a mechanical replacement for every verb.

Natural examples

Omosō desu ne. Omochi shimashō ka.

That looks heavy. Shall I carry it for you?

Shachō ni yotei o oshirase shimasu.

I will inform the president of the schedule.

Ani ga kuruma de o-okuri shimasu.

My older brother will take you by car.

I will lend you a pen.

4. ご + verbal noun + します / いたします

ご + Sino-Japanese verbal noun + します / いたします

Many verbs formed with noun + します use ご in humble language.

Normal Humble Meaning
I will explain.
I will show/guide you.
I will introduce.
I will contact you.
I will prepare it.
お vs ご is not a perfect “Japanese word vs Chinese-origin word” rule. It is a useful tendency, but real usage contains lexical exceptions. Learn frequent expressions as complete chunks.

I will explain today's schedule.

I will show you around the office.

First, I will introduce Professor Ito.

If the schedule changes, I will contact you.

Important restriction: not every します verb naturally takes ご～します. Some verbs have their own fixed humble forms, and some expressions simply do not use this construction. For high-frequency keigo, memorize the established form rather than forcing the pattern.

5. Special humble verbs

Just as respectful language has special honorific verbs, humble language has special verbs that should be memorized.

Normal verb Humble verb Main meaning
go / come
be / exist (person)
eat / drink / receive
say / be called
look at / see
ask / hear / visit
meet
know
do
Some of these verbs cover several ordinary verbs. For example, can mean “ask,” “hear,” or “visit,” depending on the sentence.

参まいります — humble 行きます / 来ます

I will come again next Saturday.

I will come/visit.

申もうします — humble 言います

Erikku Ben to mōshimasu.

My name is Eric Ben. / I am called Eric Ben.

is a standard polite self-introduction in business or formal situations.

いただきます — humble 食べる / 飲む / もらう

I'll have some wine.

I received a book from my teacher.

拝見はいけんします — humble 見ます

I looked at / reviewed the materials.

This is extremely common in business email and meetings: = “I read your email.”

伺うかがいます — ask / hear / visit

May I ask you one question?

I will visit your company tomorrow.

お目めにかかります — humble 会います

I met the company president's wife.

存ぞんじています — humble 知っています

A: Do you know the name of the person who spoke at the meeting? B: Yes, I do.

For people, business Japanese may also use when meaning “I know [that person].” Learn this separately from , which is broadly used for knowing information or facts.

6. 丁寧語ていねいご — polite language

丁寧語ていねいご makes the sentence itself polite. The basic forms are the familiar です and ます, but Lesson 50 also introduces more formal equivalents.

Normal polite form More formal polite form Meaning
there is / have
is / am / are
Would it be all right?

ございます

The report is on my desk.

Where is the restroom?

Natural usage note: in real customer-service Japanese, you will very often hear and , but the exact choice depends on the sentence.

でございます

Yes, this is Sumitomo Bank.

This is Chang from Universal Solutions.

is especially common in: telephone calls, reception desks, customer service, hotels, stores, announcements, and formal business introductions.

よろしいでしょうか

This is a more formal and softer way to ask whether something is acceptable.

What would you like to drink?

May I have one copy of this pamphlet?

7. Plain, polite, humble, and honorific — side-by-side

Meaning Plain Polite Humble Honorific
go
come
be
eat / drink
say
see
know
do
The direction of respect:
尊敬語そんけいご → raises the other person's action.
謙譲語けんじょうご → lowers your side's action.
丁寧語ていねいご → makes the sentence polite without necessarily changing who is raised or lowered.

8. Practical business Japanese examples

Introducing yourself

My name is Tanaka from Artory.

Visiting a client

I will visit you tomorrow at 10:00.

Checking a client's document

I reviewed the documents you sent.

Offering assistance

Shall I carry your luggage?

Saying you will contact someone

I will contact you as soon as I have confirmed it.

is more formal than . Both are useful; いたします is especially common in professional communication.

Telephone opening

A: Thank you for calling. This is ABC Corporation.
B: My name is Yamada from XYZ Corporation. May I speak with Mr./Ms. Tanaka?

9. Common mistakes to avoid

Mistake 1 — using humble language for the customer's action
If the customer is doing the action, usually use 尊敬語そんけいご, not 謙譲語けんじょうご.
Mistake 2 — using honorific language for your own boss when speaking to a client
In external business communication, your boss belongs to your company-side uchi. Do not automatically raise your boss above the client.
Mistake 3 — applying お～します to every verb
Some verbs have special humble forms: , not a mechanically constructed form.
Mistake 4 — assuming all します verbs use ご
ご is common with many Sino-Japanese nouns, but keigo is partly lexical. Memorize common established expressions.
Mistake 5 — mixing speech levels unnecessarily
In formal communication, keep the overall register consistent. One extremely formal phrase surrounded by casual forms can sound unnatural.

10. Quick decision guide

Whose action?

Customer / teacher / respected outsider → consider 尊敬語そんけいご.

Your side's action?

You / your company / your team → consider 謙譲語けんじょうご.

Just need politeness?

Use 丁寧語ていねいご: です, ます, ございます, でございます.

11. Lesson 50 master cheat sheet

Grammar Meaning / use Example
お + V-stem + します Humble form for many Group 1 / 2 verbs
ご + verbal noun + します Humble form for many noun + します verbs
いたします Humble します
参まいります Humble 行きます / 来ます
おります Humble います
いただきます Humble 食べる / 飲む / もらう
申もうします Humble 言います
拝見はいけんします Humble 見ます
伺うかがいます Humble 聞く / 尋ねる / 訪問する
お目めにかかります Humble 会います
存ぞんじています Humble 知っています
ございます Formal polite あります
でございます Formal polite です
よろしいでしょうか Formal “Would it be all right?”

12. Practice

A. Change to humble language

B. Choose 尊敬語 or 謙譲語

  1. You tell a customer what you will do.
  2. You talk about what the customer will do.
  3. You tell a customer what your company's president will do.
  1. 謙譲語けんじょうご
  2. 尊敬語そんけいご
  3. 謙譲語けんじょうご — your president belongs to your uchi when speaking to the customer.

C. Translate into formal Japanese

  1. I will explain the schedule.
  2. I will visit your company tomorrow.
  3. My name is Yamada.
  4. I reviewed the document.
  5. I will contact you later.
  6. Would this be all right?

Sample answers — other natural wordings are also correct.

13. Final memory rule

If the respected person performs the action, raise that person's action.

If you or someone on your side performs the action toward the respected person, humble your side's action.

Use です・ます・ございます・でございます to make the sentence politely expressed.