{"id":2941,"date":"2018-10-31T13:32:42","date_gmt":"2018-10-31T13:32:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lingo-apps.com\/?p=2941"},"modified":"2019-09-06T15:03:46","modified_gmt":"2019-09-06T15:03:46","slug":"polite-form-japanese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lingo-apps.com\/fr\/polite-form-japanese\/","title":{"rendered":"Lesson 21. Polite Form in Japanese"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Polite
Polite Form in Japanese<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We all know that Japan is well known for its politeness. Japanese bow to say hello, thank you, and even goodbye. As for the languages, there are several levels of politeness: the plain form, the polite form, and the advanced polite form.<\/p>\n

For beginner Japanese learners, most textbooks will introduce the polite speech. It is the safest choice to talk with almost anyone in everyday conversation. If you have heard sentences ended with \u3067\u3059 (desu) or -\u307e\u3059 (-masu), it means that you have encountered with the polite speech before!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When to Use the Polite Form in Japanese?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

As stated in above, you can use polite forms to almost anyone \u2013 from someone you met for the first time, someone you are not close enough, someone who has a higher social rank, to your superiors; as long as they are not your family or your close friends.<\/p>\n

The purpose of using polite speech is to show respect and keep formality. If you are using the casual speech when meeting someone for the first time, you might be considered as rude. In the same way, you should use casual speech to people you are close with.<\/p>\n

The key point is talk-down yourself and your possessions, <\/em>but talk-up your equals and superiors. <\/em>For example, if you are referring to your own daughter, use the word \u5a18 (musume). On the contrary, attach the honorific titles -\u3055\u3093 (-san)<\/a> to address someone else\u2019s daughter \u5a18\u3055\u3093 (musume-san).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at what are the features of polite speech in Japanese!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u3067\u3059<\/strong> (desu)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u3067\u3059 (desu) is commonly used in polite speech. It works like the present affirmative version of the verb \u2018to be\u2019 in Japanese. Since \u3067\u3059 (desu) is always placed at the end of the sentence, some people might have mistaken \u3067\u3059 (desu) marks the end of a sentence. For more precise, \u3067\u3059 (desu) is actually contracted form of the verb \u3067\u3042\u308a\u307e\u3059 (dearimasu). It makes sense since the word order of Japanese is Subject + Object + Verb, unlike the English Subject + Verb + Object.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

See the following table for the other forms of \u3067\u3059 (desu).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nAffirmative<\/strong><\/td>\nNegative<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Present<\/strong><\/td>\n\u3067\u3059<\/td>\n\u3067\u306f \u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
desu<\/td>\ndewa arimasen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Past<\/strong><\/td>\n\u3067\u3057\u305f<\/td>\n\u3067\u306f \u3042\u308a\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3067\u3057\u305f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
deshita<\/td>\ndewa arimasen deshita<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Examples:<\/p>\n

\u5f7c\u306f\u30a2\u30e1\u30ea\u30ab\u4eba\u3067\u3059<\/strong>\u3002<\/p>\n

Kare wa amerika jin desu<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

He is<\/strong> an American.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u3044\u3044\u590f\u4f11\u307f\u3067\u3057\u305f<\/strong>\u3002<\/p>\n

\u012a natsu yasumi\u00a0deshita.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was<\/strong> a nice summer vacation.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

–<\/strong>\u307e\u3059<\/strong> (-masu) <\/strong><\/h3>\n

Japanese conjugates verbs into -\u307e\u3059 (-masu) form to indicate politeness. Use the following table to conjugate the verb depending on the tenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/td>\nAffirmative<\/strong><\/td>\nNegative<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Present<\/strong><\/td>\n\u307e\u3059<\/td>\n\u307e\u305b\u3093<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
masu<\/td>\nmasen<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Past<\/strong><\/td>\n\u307e\u3057\u305f<\/td>\n\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3067\u3057\u305f<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
mashita<\/td>\nmasen deshita<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Examples:<\/p>\n

\u3053\u306e\u96fb\u8eca\u306f\u305d\u3053\u306b\u884c\u304d\u307e\u305b\u3093\u3002<\/p>\n

Kono densha wa soko ni ikimasen.<\/p>\n

This train will not go there.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u698e\u5143\u5148\u751f\u306f\u5e30\u308a\u307e\u3057\u305f<\/strong>\u3002<\/p>\n

Enomoto sensei wa kaerimashita<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Mr. (Teacher) Enomoto returned<\/strong> home.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Note: If you end the sentence with -\u307e\u3059 (-masu), you do not need to write \u3067\u3059 (desu). -\u307e\u3059 (-masu) is the suffix of verb conjugation, while \u3067\u3059 (desu) is a verb. Don\u2019t double up them!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The next question, how to make your sentence sounds politer? You can use the honorifics!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Honorific Nouns<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The prefixes \u304a- (o-<\/em>) or \u3054- (go-<\/em>) are used to express politeness in nouns. Basically, \u304a- (o-<\/em>) usually goes with words of Japanese origin, while \u3054- (go-<\/em>) for words of Chinese origin.<\/p>\n

Examples:<\/p>\n

\u540d\u524d \u2192 \u304a\u540d\u524d<\/p>\n

namae \u2192 onamae<\/p>\n

name<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u624b\u7d19 \u2192 \u304a\u624b\u7d19<\/p>\n

tegami \u2192 otegami<\/p>\n

letter<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u4ed5\u4e8b \u2192 \u304a\u4ed5\u4e8b<\/p>\n

shigoto \u2192 oshigoto<\/p>\n

work<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u4f4f\u6240 \u2192 \u3054\u4f4f\u6240<\/p>\n

j\u016bsho \u2192\u00a0goj\u016bsho<\/p>\n

address<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u7d50\u5a5a \u2192 \u3054\u7d50\u5a5a<\/p>\n

kekkon \u2192 gokekkon<\/p>\n

marriage<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u8cea\u554f \u2192 \u3054\u8cea\u554f<\/p>\n

shitsumon \u2192 goshitsumon<\/p>\n

question<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Read: What You Need to Know about Noun in Japanese<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Remember to talk-down your possessions <\/em>rule! You would not call your own name as \u304a\u540d\u524d (onamae), but \u540d\u524d (namae). On the other hand, when you are asking the name of someone you met for the first time, you can say:<\/p>\n

\u304a\u540d\u524d\u306f\u4f55\u3067\u3059\u304b?<\/p>\n

Onamae wa nandesu ka?<\/p>\n

What is your name?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Honorific <\/strong>Pro<\/strong>nouns<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When referring to someone else\u2019s family, use the honorifics pronouns, which are different from referring to\u00a0your own family.<\/p>\n

\u6bcd \u2192 \u304a\u6bcd\u3055\u3093*<\/p>\n

haha \u2192 ok\u0101san<\/p>\n

my mother \u2192 someone else\u2019s mother<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u7236 \u2192 \u304a\u7236\u3055\u3093*<\/p>\n

chichi \u2192 ot\u014dsan<\/p>\n

my father \u2192 someone else\u2019s father<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u5b50\u4f9b \u2192 \u304a\u5b50\u3055\u3093<\/p>\n

kodomo \u2192 okosan<\/p>\n

child \u2192 someone else\u2019s child<\/p>\n

*NOTE: When you talk to your parents, it’s common to call them \u304a\u6bcd\u3055\u3093 (ok\u0101san) and\u00a0\u304a\u7236\u3055\u3093 (ot\u014dsan). However, when you tell about your parents to someone outside family, it’s more polite to talk-down as your possessions and use\u00a0\u6bcd(haha) and\u00a0\u7236 (chichi).<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Read: The Complete Guide of Pronouns in Japanese<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Let\u2019s learn Japanese today! Join us at LingoCards<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We all know that Japan is well known for its politeness. Japanese bow to say hello, thank you, and even goodbye. As for the languages,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":2942,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[198],"class_list":["post-2941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-japanese","tag-polite","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lingo-apps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lingo-apps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lingo-apps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lingo-apps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lingo-apps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2941"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/lingo-apps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2941\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3929,"href":"https:\/\/lingo-apps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2941\/revisions\/3929"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lingo-apps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lingo-apps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lingo-apps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lingo-apps.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}