📌 Intermediate Japanese Lesson ⑦: The Basics of Keigo & Business Japanese

Hey there! 😊

So you’ve been learning Japanese for a while and now it’s time to tackle keigo (敬語)—one of the trickiest but most essential parts of the language! 🚀

If you want to sound polite, professional, or just avoid embarrassing mistakes, this lesson will be a game-changer. Let’s break it down in a way that actually makes sense!

🔹 What is Keigo (敬語)?

Keigo is formal/polite Japanese, often used in:

• ✅ Business settings (emails, meetings, customer service)
• ✅ Speaking to superiors (bosses, teachers, elderly people)
• ✅ Polite conversations with strangers

There are three types of keigo:

Type	Usage	Example (to say "to do")
丁寧語 (Teineigo)	Polite speech	します
尊敬語 (Sonkeigo)	Respectful speech (for others)	なさいます
謙譲語 (Kenjougo)	Humble speech (for yourself)	いたします

🔹 丁寧語 (Teineigo) – The Polite Form

💡 Easy rule: Just use ます/です to sound polite!

✅ Example:

🚶‍♂️ Casual: 今、仕事終わった！ (*I just finished work!*)

🧑‍💼 Polite: 今、仕事が終わりました。(*I have just finished work.*)

🔹 尊敬語 (Sonkeigo) – Respectful Speech (For Others)

Use 尊敬語 to show respect to someone else’s actions (e.g., boss, customer, teacher).

Casual	Polite (尊敬語)
食べる (to eat)	召し上がる
する (to do)	なさる
行く/来る (to go/come)	いらっしゃる
言う (to say)	おっしゃる

🔹 謙譲語 (Kenjougo) – Humble Speech (For Yourself)

Use 謙譲語 when talking about your own actions to show humility (especially in business settings).

Casual	Polite (謙譲語)
会う (to meet)	お目にかかる
もらう (to receive)	いただく
言う (to say)	申す
行く/来る (to go/come)	参る

🔹 Common Keigo Mistakes 😱

• ❌ 言われる (*to be told*) → Use おっしゃる instead!
• ❌ ご苦労様です (*Good job!*) → Use お疲れ様です when speaking to a boss!

🔹 Business Japanese Essentials (Must-Know Phrases)

📞 Answering the Phone

✅ お電話ありがとうございます。〇〇会社の〇〇です。 (*Thank you for calling. This is 〇〇 from 〇〇 company.*)

📩 Business Emails

✅ お世話になっております。〇〇会社の〇〇です。 (*Thank you for your continued support. This is 〇〇 from 〇〇 company.*)

🔹 Conversation Examples

👩‍💼 **A:** こちらの商品はお使いになったことがありますか？ (*Have you used this product before?*)

🧑‍💼 **B:** いえ、初めてです。とても便利そうですね！ (*No, this is my first time. It looks very useful!*)

💬 Let’s Talk! Your Thoughts & Requests

💡 Have you ever had trouble using keigo?

💡 Any funny or embarrassing keigo mistakes?

👇 Share your experiences in the comments! I’d love to hear them! 😊

📢 Next Lesson: Mastering Japanese Idioms & 四字熟語!

Stay tuned! 🎉