Nihongo Nihongo
Minna no Nihongo Lesson 50 Grammar
1. 謙譲語 (humble expressions)
けんじょうごare expressions in which the speaker humbles himself/herself and lowers his/her own acts to show respect to the listener or the person being referred to. Respect is directed at a person of higher social status or そとのひと (an outsider). けんじょうごis also used when the speaker refers to うちのひと (an insider) in front of an outsider.
1) お／ご～します
(1) おV (I, II group)ます-formします
重そうですね。お持ちしましょうか。(*)
It looks so heavy. Shall I carry it for you?
私が社長にスケジュールをお知らせします。(**)
I will tell the president the schedule.
兄が車でお送りします。(***)
My elder brother will take you in his car.
In examples (*) and (**), the speaker humbles himself/herself by lowering his/her acts to show his/her respect to the listener (*) or the person being referred to (**). In example (***), the action is performed by an insider, not by the speaker.
This form is not applicable to verbs in which the ます-form consists of one mora as in みますor います.
(2) ごV (III group)
江戸東京博物館へご案内します。
I will take you to the Edo-Tokyo Museum.
きょうの予定をご説明します。
I will explain today’s schedule.
This pattern is applicable to Group III verbs. Other than those verbs given in the examples above, only those verbs which imply some association with the listener such as しょうかいします, しょうたいします, そうだんしますand れんらくしますcan be used. でんわしますand やくそくしますare exceptions in thatお instead of ごprecedes them.
[Note] The patterns in (*) and (**) can only be used with acts which involve another person beside the agent of the act. Therefore, they are not applicable to an act that does not involve another person such as the one in the following example.ｘ 私は来月国へお帰りします。
2) Special humble verbs
There are some verbs which contain humble meanings. They are used as follows.
(1) When the speaker’s act involves the listener or the person to whom respect is directed:
社長の奥様にお目にかかりました。
I met the president’s wife.
あしたはだれが手伝いに来てくれますか。
Who will come over to help me tomorrow?
私が伺います。
I will.
(2) When the speaker’s act does not involve the listener or the person to whom respect is directed:
ミラーと申します。
My name is Miller.
アメリカから参りました。
I come from the United States.
2. 丁寧語 (polite expressions)
ていねいごare polite expressions used to show the speaker’s respect to the listener.
1) ございます
ございますis the polite equivalent of あります.
電話は階段の横にございます。
The pay phone is beside the stairs.
2) ～でございます
～でございますis the polite equivalent of です.
はい、IMCでございます。
パワー電気のシュミットですが、ミラーさん、お願いします。
Hello, this is IMC.
This is Schmidt of Power Electric. May I speak to Mr. Miller?
3) よろしいでしょうか
よろしいでしょうかis a polite equivalent of いいですか.
お飲み物は何がよろしいでしょうか。
What would you like to drink?
コーヒーをお願いします。
Coffee, please.
このパンフレットをいただいてもよろしいでしょうか。
May I have one of these pamphlets.
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