How to Use Japanese Polite Language Sonkeigo in Japanese Keigo System

Learning Japanese is one thing, but speaking it politely in professional settings? That's where things get interesting. If you've ever wondered how Japanese people manage to sound so respectful in business meetings or formal situations, the answer lies in keigo, specifically a form called sonkeigo. This respectful language system lets you elevate the actions of others to show proper respect, and honestly, it's pretty essential if you plan to work in Japan or interact with Japanese speakers in formal contexts. Let's break down exactly how sonkeigo works and when you'd use it.🙇‍♀️

What is sonkeigo and why does it matter

Sonkeigo (尊敬語, literally "respectful language") is one of the three main categories of keigo, the Japanese honorific system. When you use sonkeigo, you're elevating someone else's actions to show respect. Think of it as linguistic respect built directly into the grammar.

The Japanese language has this fascinating way of adjusting formality through different speech levels. While teineigo adds basic politeness with the masu form and desu endings, sonkeigo goes several steps further. You'll use it when talking about what your boss does, what a customer says, or what a professor thinks. The whole point is to acknowledge the higher status of the person you're talking about.

Here's the thing: sonkeigo isn't optional in many situations. If you're working at a Japanese company and talking to your manager, using regular polite form just won't cut it. You need sonkeigo to properly acknowledge the hierarchy. Same goes for customer service, where you'd use sonkeigo to talk about what the customer wants or needs.

Different levels of politeness in Japanese: Teineigo, kenjougo, and sonkeigo

Before diving deeper into sonkeigo specifically, you should understand how it fits into the bigger picture of Japanese politeness.

The level of politeness you choose depends entirely on your relationship with the person and the context. A business meeting requires more formality than chatting with a classmate, even if you're being polite in both situations.

How sonkeigo verb conjugation works

Alright, this is where sonkeigo gets practical. There are several patterns for creating respectful verb forms, and once you know them, you can apply them pretty consistently.

For example, (miru, to see) becomes (mirareru). When your teacher looks at something, you'd say (miraremasu) instead of the regular polite form.

So (yomu, to read) becomes (o-yomi ni naru). This pattern feels very respectful and you'll hear it constantly in business Japanese.

Some verbs have special sonkeigo forms that you just need to memorize. These are irregular but super common:

These special forms show up all the time, so they're worth drilling until they become automatic.

The nasaru ending appears in several respectful verbs. You'll see it in (ossharu) and (nasaru) itself. When conjugating these verbs into the masu form, they become osshaimasu and nasaimasu, which sounds way more natural than what you might expect from regular conjugation rules.

Using honorific prefixes with nouns and adjectives in Japanese language

Sonkeigo isn't just about verb forms.

There are exceptions to these patterns, which is pretty typical for Japanese. Some words just sound better with one prefix over the other, and you'll develop an ear for it as you listen to more Japanese. The key is that these prefixes show respect for the person or thing you're talking about.

When you're talking about your own stuff or actions, you generally wouldn't use these honorific prefixes. That would sound weird, like you're trying to elevate yourself. The exception is certain set phrases or when referring to things in a general polite way, like (o-kane) for money, which is just standard polite vocabulary.

Common sonkeigo patterns in Japanese honorific words

Some sonkeigo expressions come up so frequently that they're worth memorizing as complete phrases. These are the bread and butter of respectful Japanese.

These phrases become automatic once you've heard them enough times in context. Watching Japanese business dramas or listening to customer service interactions gives you tons of exposure to natural sonkeigo usage.

Sonkeigo versus kenjougo: What's the difference

This trips up a lot of learners, so let's make it clear. Sonkeigo and kenjougo are basically mirror images of each other in the Japanese keigo system.

The verb you choose depends entirely on whose action you're describing. If the customer is doing something, use sonkeigo. If you're doing something for the customer, use kenjougo. This distinction is crucial in business settings where you need to show respect to clients while being humble about your own company's actions.

A common mistake is mixing these up or using sonkeigo for your own actions. That makes you sound like you're putting yourself above the other person in the social rank, which is the opposite of what you want. As a learner, getting comfortable with these polite speeches takes practice, but it becomes intuitive once you've heard enough examples.

When you'd use sonkeigo in real-life polite language

Sonkeigo shows up in specific contexts where hierarchy and formality matter in the Japanese culture. Understanding these situations helps you know when to switch into respectful language mode in Japanese society.

Here's where it gets interesting: you generally wouldn't use sonkeigo within your own in-group when talking to outsiders. If you're representing your company and talking to a client about what your boss said, you'd use humble language for your boss's actions because you're both part of the same group relative to the client. The formality shifts based on who's in the conversation.

Tips to learn Japanese sonkeigo and match the level of politeness

Sonkeigo takes time to master, and that's completely normal. Even native Japanese speakers sometimes struggle with the more complex keigo forms.

Anyway, if you want to see sonkeigo in action while learning from real Japanese content, Migaku's browser extension and app let you look up words and grammar patterns instantly while watching shows or reading articles. You can catch these respectful forms in context and build your understanding naturally. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.

What makes the Japanese humble language and respectful language so nuanced...

🔍Sonkeigo represents a core part of communicating effectively in Japanese, especially in professional or formal contexts. The verb conjugation patterns, honorific prefixes, and special irregular forms all work together to create a respectful way of talking about others' actions. Combined with kenjougo for your own actions and teineigo as your baseline, you've got the complete keigo system that makes Japanese politeness so nuanced. Getting comfortable with sonkeigo takes exposure and practice.

The effort is worth it, and it shows genuine cultural understanding.