JLPT N4 reference · Social language
Basic honorific verbs
Respectful verbs elevate the subject; humble verbs lower the speaker or in-group actor relative to another person.
Core meaning and form
Learn frequent respectful and humble replacements: いらっしゃる for 行く/来る/いる, 召し上がる for 食べる/飲む, 参る for humble 行く/来る, and いただく for humble 食べる/飲む/もらう. Choosing the direction of respect is more important than replacing every verb.
- Form: Learn frequent respectful and humble replacements: いらっしゃる for 行く/来る/いる, 召し上がる for 食べる/飲む, 参る for humble 行く/来る, and いただく for humble 食べる/飲む/もらう.
- Core use: Respectful verbs elevate the subject; humble verbs lower the speaker or in-group actor relative to another person.
- Context: Choosing the direction of respect is more important than replacing every verb.
Examples in context
先生はもういらっしゃいました。Sensei wa mō irasshaimashita.The teacher has already arrived.
どうぞ召し上がってください。Dōzo meshiagatte kudasai.Please help yourself.
明日、そちらへ参ります。Ashita, sochira e mairimasu.I will come to your place tomorrow.
Common errors
- Do not select this pattern from an English translation alone; check its attachment and discourse function.
- Keep the surrounding sentence in a consistent plain, polite, spoken, or written register.
Quick summary
- Learn frequent respectful and humble replacements: いらっしゃる for 行く/来る/いる, 召し上がる for 食べる/飲む, 参る for humble 行く/来る, and いただく for humble 食べる/飲む/もらう.
- Respectful verbs elevate the subject; humble verbs lower the speaker or in-group actor relative to another person.
- Choosing the direction of respect is more important than replacing every verb.