Mastering Keigo: Navigating Sonkeigo and Kenjougo in Professional Business Settings

Navigating the Japanese business world requires more than just fluency in vocabulary and grammar; it requires a deep understanding of social dynamics. At the heart of this is 敬語 (keigo), the Japanese honorific system. While you may already be comfortable ordering food or speaking with acquaintances using standard polite Japanese, professional settings demand a higher level of linguistic precision. Using the correct level of politeness shows respect, establishes professional boundaries, and builds trust with clients and partners.

This lesson breaks down the two most complex pillars of the honorific system: 尊敬語 (sonkeigo), or respectful language, and 謙譲語 (kenjougo), or humble language. By mastering these forms and understanding the underlying cultural concept of in-groups and out-groups, you will be able to navigate meetings, emails, and phone calls with confidence and professionalism.

Learning Objectives

• Distinguish between in-group (内 - uchi) and out-group (外 - soto) dynamics to determine the correct level of politeness.
• Conjugate and use regular and irregular verbs in 尊敬語 (sonkeigo) to elevate the actions of clients and superiors.
• Conjugate and use regular and irregular verbs in 謙譲語 (kenjougo) to humble your own actions and those of your company.
• Seamlessly switch between respectful and humble language in common business scenarios, such as phone calls and meetings.

Prerequisites

• Mastery of 丁寧語 (teineigo), the standard polite form (です/ます - desu/masu).
• Familiarity with basic verb conjugations (dictionary form, stem form, te-form).

Core Concepts

The Uchi/Soto (In-group/Out-group) Rule

The most critical rule of 敬語 (keigo) in business is understanding 内 (uchi - inside/in-group) and 外 (soto - outside/out-group). Your choice of language depends entirely on who is doing the action and who you are speaking to.

• 内 (uchi): You, your family, your colleagues, your boss, your company.
• 外 (soto): Clients, customers, business partners, people from other companies.

The Golden Rule: You elevate the 外 (soto) using 尊敬語 (sonkeigo), and you lower the 内 (uchi) using 謙譲語 (kenjougo).

Crucially, when speaking to a client (soto), everyone in your company (uchi) is lowered—even your own CEO. You will use humble language to describe your boss's actions to a client.

尊敬語 (Sonkeigo): Respectful Language

尊敬語 (sonkeigo) is used exclusively to describe the actions, states, or belongings of someone in the out-group (a client, a customer) or a superior within your own company when speaking internally. Never use sonkeigo for your own actions.

Irregular Sonkeigo Verbs

Many common verbs have entirely different vocabulary words in 尊敬語 (sonkeigo). These must be memorized.

• 行く (iku - to go) / 来る (kuru - to come) / いる (iru - to be) → いらっしゃる (irassharu)
• 言う (iu - to say) → おっしゃる (ossharu)
• 食べる (taberu - to eat) / 飲む (nomu - to drink) → 召し上がる (meshiagaru)
• 見る (miru - to see) → ご覧になる (goran ni naru)
• する (suru - to do) → なさる (nasaru)
• 知っている (shitte iru - to know) → ご存知だ (gozonji da)

Regular Sonkeigo Pattern

For verbs that do not have an irregular form, use the following pattern: お (o) / ご (go) + Verb Stem + になる (ni naru)

Note: お (o) is generally used with words of Japanese origin (kun'yomi), while ご (go) is used with words of Chinese origin (on'yomi).

• 待つ (matsu - to wait) → お待ちになる (omachini naru)
• 読む (yomu - to read) → お読みになる (oyomini naru)
• 利用する (riyou suru - to use) → ご利用になる (goriyouni naru)

謙譲語 (Kenjougo): Humble Language

謙譲語 (kenjougo) is used to describe your own actions, or the actions of your in-group, when those actions involve or affect the out-group. By lowering yourself, you indirectly elevate the listener.

Irregular Kenjougo Verbs

Like sonkeigo, many common verbs have specific humble forms.

• 行く (iku - to go) / 来る (kuru - to come) → 参る (mairu) / 伺う (ukagau - to visit/ask)
• いる (iru - to be) → おる (oru)
• 言う (iu - to say) → 申す (mousu) / 申し上げる (moushiageru)
• 食べる (taberu - to eat) / 飲む (nomu - to drink) / もらう (morau - to receive) → いただく (itadaku)
• 見る (miru - to see) → 拝見する (haiken suru)
• する (suru - to do) → いたす (itasu)
• 知っている (shitte iru - to know) → 存じておる (zonjite oru)

Regular Kenjougo Pattern

For verbs without an irregular humble form, use this pattern: お (o) / ご (go) + Verb Stem + する (suru) / いたします (itashimasu)

• 待つ (matsu - to wait) → お待ちする (omochi suru) / お待ちいたします (omochi itashimasu)
• 送る (okuru - to send) → お送りする (ookuri suru) / お送りいたします (ookuri itashimasu)
• 連絡する (renraku suru - to contact) → ご連絡する (gorenraku suru) / ご連絡いたします (gorenraku itashimasu)

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Mixing up Sonkeigo and Kenjougo

Learners often accidentally use humble language for the client, or respectful language for themselves.

• Wrong: お客様が資料を拝見しました。(Okyakusama ga shiryou o haiken shimashita.) — Haiken suru is humble. You just lowered the client.
• Correct: お客様が資料をご覧になりました。(Okyakusama ga shiryou o goran ni narimashita.) — Goran ni naru is respectful.
• Tip: Associate 尊敬語 (sonkeigo) with an upward arrow (↑) pointing at the client, and 謙譲語 (kenjougo) with a downward arrow (↓) pointing at yourself.

Mistake 2: Elevating Your Boss to a Client

When speaking to a client, your boss is part of your in-group (uchi). You must use humble language for your boss's actions, and you drop their job title (which acts as an honorific).

• Wrong: 部長の田中は会議にいらっしゃいます。(Buchou no Tanaka wa kaigi ni irasshaimasu.) — You used respectful language for your boss to a client.
• Correct: 田中は会議に出ております。(Tanaka wa kaigi ni dete orisu.) — You dropped the title "Buchou" and used the humble oru.
• Tip: Imagine you and your entire company are in a box. Anyone outside the box gets elevated. Anyone inside the box gets humbled when speaking to someone outside.

Mistake 3: Double Keigo (二重敬語 - Nijuukeigo)

Applying two layers of respect to the same verb is grammatically incorrect and sounds unnatural.

• Wrong: 社長がおっしゃられました。(Shachou ga osshararemashita.) — Ossharu is already respectful. Adding the passive respectful form rareru is double keigo.
• Correct: 社長がおっしゃいました。(Shachou ga osshaimashita.)

Practice Prompts

1. The Phone Call: Imagine a client calls asking for your manager, Suzuki, who is currently out of the office. Write down how you would tell the client that Suzuki is out and that you will have him call them back.
2. The Meeting: You are offering a client a seat and a cup of tea. Think about the specific verbs you need to elevate their actions (sitting, drinking).
3. The Email: You need to tell a business partner that you have seen the document they sent, and you will send your reply tomorrow. Map out which verbs will be humble (seeing, sending).

Examples

Scenario 1: Confirming a client's actions (Sonkeigo)

• 資料をお読みになりましたか？ (Shiryou o oyomini narimashita ka?) — Did you read the document?
• 何を召し上がりますか？ (Nani o meshiagarimasu ka?) — What will you eat/drink?
• 山田様がいらっしゃいました。(Yamada-sama ga irasshaimashita.) — Mr./Ms. Yamada has arrived.

Scenario 2: Stating your own actions (Kenjougo)

• 私がご案内いたします。(Watashi ga goannai itashimasu.) — I will guide you.
• 明日、そちらへ伺います。(Ashita, sochira e ukagaimasu.) — I will visit your office tomorrow.
• メールを拝見いたしました。(Meeru o haiken itashimashita.) — I saw (read) the email.

Scenario 3: The Uchi/Soto dynamic in action

• Internal (Speaking to your boss): 部長、明日東京へいらっしゃいますか？ (Buchou, ashita Toukyou e irasshaimasu ka?) — Boss, are you going to Tokyo tomorrow? (Sonkeigo used because the boss is superior).
• External (Speaking to a client about your boss): 申し訳ございません。部長の田中は本日外出しております。(Moushiwake gozaimasen. Buchou no Tanaka wa honjitsu gaishutsu shite orimasu.) — I am very sorry. Department Manager Tanaka is out of the office today. (Kenjougo used because the boss is in-group relative to the client).

Key Takeaways

• Uchi vs. Soto dictates everything: Elevate the out-group (clients) and humble the in-group (yourself and your company).
• Sonkeigo (Respectful) = Their actions: Use irregulars like irassharu or the pattern o/go + stem + ni naru for the client's actions.
• Kenjougo (Humble) = Your actions: Use irregulars like mairu or the pattern o/go + stem + itashimasu for your own actions.
• Drop titles externally: When speaking to a client, refer to your colleagues and bosses by their last name only, without titles like san or buchou attached to the end.

Vocabulary List

• 敬語 (keigo) — honorific language
• 尊敬語 (sonkeigo) — respectful language
• 謙譲語 (kenjougo) — humble language
• 丁寧語 (teineigo) — polite language
• 内 (uchi) — in-group / inside
• 外 (soto) — out-group / outside
• いらっしゃる (irassharu) — to go / to come / to be (respectful)
• おっしゃる (ossharu) — to say (respectful)
• 召し上がる (meshiagaru) — to eat / to drink (respectful)
• ご覧になる (goran ni naru) — to see (respectful)
• なさる (nasaru) — to do (respectful)
• ご存知だ (gozonji da) — to know (respectful)
• 参る (mairu) — to go / to come (humble)
• 伺う (ukagau) — to visit / to ask (humble)
• おる (oru) — to be (humble)
• 申す (mousu) — to say (humble)
• 申し上げる (moushiageru) — to say / to express (humble)
• いただく (itadaku) — to eat / to drink / to receive (humble)
• 拝見する (haiken suru) — to see / to read (humble)
• いたす (itasu) — to do (humble)
• 存じておる (zonjite oru) — to know (humble)
• お客様 (okyakusama) — client / customer
• 社長 (shachou) — company president / CEO
• 部長 (buchou) — department manager
• 資料 (shiryou) — document / materials
• 会議 (kaigi) — meeting
• 外出する (gaishutsu suru) — to go out (of the office)
• 案内する (annai suru) — to guide / to show around
• 連絡する (renraku suru) — to contact