English–Japanese

“honorifics” in Japanese

Japanese

Pronunciation

Romajikeigo

Example

お客様には敬語を使います。o kyaku sama ni wa kei go o tsuka i ma su

I use honorifics with customers.

Illustration for 敬語 (honorifics)

How to say “honorifics” in Japanese

“Honorifics” in Japanese is 敬語 (keigo).

Japanese 敬語 (keigo) adjusts the form of speech to reflect the social relationship between the speaker and others.

Full entry for 敬語: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 敬語

メールを書くときも、敬語の使い方に気をつけます。mē ru o ka ku to ki mo kei go no tsuka i kata ni ki o tsu ke ma su

I also pay attention to how I use honorifics when writing emails.

Tips for using 敬語

  • In Japanese 敬語 (keigo), humble forms lower the speaker or the speaker's group rather than praising the listener.

“honorifics” in other languages