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We use special verbs to describe the actions of people whom
you respect.
These special verbs are called honorific verbs, because they
bestow honor on, or exalt, the person performing the
activities. |
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Honorific Verbs |
Irregular Honorifics: |
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いる
行く・いく
来る・くる |
いらっしゃる |
いらっしゃいます
(conjugates as いらっしゃいます) |
to be
to go
to arrive
|
| 見る・みる |
ご覧になる・ごらんになる |
|
to see, to watch / to inspect |
| 言う・いう |
おっしゃる |
おっしゃいます |
to say, to talk |
| する |
なさる |
なさいます |
to do |
食べる・たべる
飲む・のむ |
召し上がる・めしあがる |
|
to eat / to summon up
to drink / to summon up
|
| くれる |
くださる |
くださいます |
to give, to be given |
| 寝る・ねる |
おやすみになる |
|
to sleep / to rest |
| ～ている |
～ていらっしゃる |
～ていらっしゃいます |
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All the honorific verbs listed above are u-verbs, but some of them have irregular conjugations.
The long forms of irassharu, ossharu, nasaru, kudasaru,
and ~te irassharu end with imasu, instead of
the expected rimasu. |
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When we use an honorific verb instead of a
normal verb, we will have sentences which mean that somebody
graciously does something.
(Thus we never use these verbs to describe our own actions.)
We use them when we talk about what is done by
(1) somebody higher up in the social hierarchy,
or (2) somebody whom you do not know very well, especially
when addressing them directly. |
先生は今日学校にいらっしゃいません。
行きません・来ません・いません |
The professor will (graciously) not go
to/come to I be at the school
(three-way ambiguous) |
|
sensei-wa kyoo, gakkoo-ni irasshaimasen.
ikimasen / kimasen / imasen |
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何を召し上がりますか。
食べますか・飲みますか |
What will you (graciously) eat/drink? |
nani-o meshiagarimasu ka?
tabemase ka? / nomimasu ka? |
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田中さんのお母さんが本をくださいました。
くれました |
Ms. Tanaka's mother (graciously) gave me this book. |
tanaka-san-no okaasan-ga hon-o kudasai mashita.
kuremashita |
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先生は自分で料理なさるそうです。
料理するそうです |
I hear that the professor (graciously) cooks for himself. |
|
sensei-wa jibun-de ryoori nasaru soo desu.
ryoori suru soo desu |
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心配なさらないでください。
心配しないでください |
Please don't (graciously) worry. |
shinpai nasaranai de kudasai
shinpai shinai de kudasai |
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先生はテレビをご覧になっています。
見ています |
The professor is (graciously) watching TV. |
sensei-wa terebi-o goran-ni natte imasu.
mite imasu |
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For the activities for which we lack special honorific
verbs, we add the respect factor as follows: |
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(1) Using ～て いらっしゃいます
~te irassha imasu instead of ~te imasu, if the sentence has the helping verb
~te
iru |
先生はテープを聞いていらっしゃいます。
聞いています |
The professor is (graciously) listening to the tapes. |
sensei-wa teepu-o kiite irasshaimasu.
kiite imasu |
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先生は疲れていらっしるみたいです。
疲れているみたいです |
It appears that the professor is (graciously) tired. |
sensei-wa tsukarete irassharu mitai desu.
tsukarete iru mitai desu |
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(2) Flanking a verb stem with o and
ni naru, in most other cases. (* 1) |
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お + verb stem + になる |
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先生はもうお帰りになりました。
帰りました |
The professor has already (graciously) gone
home. |
| sensei-wa moo okaeri-ni narimashita. |
|
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この雑誌をお読みになったことがありますか。
読んだことがありますか |
Have you ever (graciously) read this
magazine? |
kono zasshi-o oyomi-ni natta koto-ga arimasu ka?
yonda koto-ga arimasu ka? |
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どうぞお使いになってください。
使ってください |
Please (graciously) use it |
doozo, otsukai-ni natte kudasai.
tsukatte kudasai |
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*1 As the examples show,
you can
turn most combinations of a verb and a post-predicate
expression into the honorific style by simply turning the
verb into the honorific form.
Post-predicate expressions, such as
koto ga arimasu
and kudasai remain unchanged.
This rule also applies to expressions like
te mo ii
and te wa ikenai and to the potential verbs.
It is, however, not considered in good taste to talk about
what an "honorable" person can or cannot do, and may or must
not do. |
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~te iru is exceptional in being a
post-predicate that regularly undergoes the honorific style
shift.
Special honorific verbs generally take priority over
~te
irassharu,
as seen in the go-ran-ni natte imasu
example above, but forms like mite irassha-imasu are
also considered acceptable. |
