The Register Map
Japanese Grammar 4
Course 4 ยท Chapter 1 ยท The Register Map
๐งญ The Register Map โ ใใใใฎ ใกใ
You already use two registers, plain and polite. Real Japanese has more: forms that raise the other person and forms that lower yourself. They are called keigo (ๆฌ่ช, "respect language"). Before learning the forms in the next chapters, you need the map: what the levels are, what each one is about, and how to choose between them.
1. The levels
| Level | Japanese name | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain | ๆฎ้ไฝ (ใตใคใใใ) | casual, no politeness | ใใใ ใใใ |
| Polite | ไธๅฏง่ช (ใฆใใญใใ) | respect toward the listener | ใใใ ใใใพใใ |
| Honorific | ๅฐๆฌ่ช (ใใใใใ) | raises the other person's actions, state and belongings | ใใใใใฏ ใใใ ใใใฃใใใใพใใ |
| Humble | ่ฌ่ญฒ่ช (ใใใใใใ) | lowers my own (or my group's) actions toward someone | ใใใ ใใใใซ ใใใใใพใใ |
| Beautified words | ็พๅ่ช (ใณใใ) | makes the word itself refined | ใใฟใ, ใใกใ, ใใฏใ, ใใใญ |
A fifth label you will meet is ไธ้่ช (ใฆใใกใใใ), the "polite-humble" words like ใพใใ, ใใใ, ใใใ, ใใ, which lower the speaker and are used to address the listener respectfully, even if no one is being raised (Chapter 3).
2. One idea, five levels
| Meaning | Plain | Polite | Honorific (other person) | Humble (me) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| go | ใใ | ใใใพใ | ใใใฃใใใ | ใพใใ / ใใใใ |
| come | ใใ | ใใพใ | ใใใฃใใใ / ใใฟใใซ ใชใ | ใพใใ |
| be (exist) | ใใ | ใใพใ | ใใใฃใใใ | ใใ |
| do | ใใ | ใใพใ | ใชใใ | ใใใ |
| say | ใใ | ใใใพใ | ใใฃใใใ | ใใใ / ใใใใใใ |
| eat / drink | ใในใ / ใฎใ | ใในใพใ / ใฎใฟใพใ | ใใใใใ | ใใใ ใ |
| see | ใฟใ | ใฟใพใ | ใใใใซ ใชใ | ใฏใใใใใ |
| give (to me) | ใใใ | ใใใพใ | ใใ ใใ | โ |
| receive | ใใใ | ใใใใพใ | โ | ใใใ ใ |
| know | ใใฃใฆใใ | ใใฃใฆใใพใ | ใใใใใ | ใใใใฆ ใใ |
These are the special verbs; each is taught in Chapters 2 and 3. Notice that one honorific verb (ใใใฃใใใ) covers "go", "come" and "be": context shows which.
3. Inside and outside: ใใก and ใใจ
Keigo does not simply follow rank. Who is "mine" depends on the situation: a speaker treats their own group (company, family, team) as inside when talking to outsiders, and lowers it, even if it contains a boss.
| Situation | Speaker lowers | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Phone call from a customer: the speaker's boss is out | Own boss (as part of own company) | ใใชใใฏ ใใ ใใพ ใใใใ
ใคใใฆ ใใใพใใ Tanaka is out at the moment. (no ใใ, no honorific) |
| Speaking to your own boss about the customer | Customer is raised | ใใใใใใพใ ใใใฃใใใใพใใใ The customer has arrived. |
| Introducing your own family to an outsider | Own family lowered | ใกใกใฏ ใใใใใใใงใใ My father is a company employee. (plain words: ใกใก, ใฏใฏ) |
| Speaking of someone else's family | Other's family raised | ใใจใใใใฏ ใใใใใงใใใ Is your father well? |
4. Who gets which register
| Speaking to | About | Style |
|---|---|---|
| Close friend, family | themselves, you | Plain |
| Colleague of similar rank | work | Polite, a little casual |
| Boss, teacher, senior | their actions | Polite + honorific |
| Boss, teacher, senior | your own actions | Polite + humble |
| Customer | customer's actions | Honorific |
| Customer | your own company and boss | Humble |
| Stranger | anything | Polite |
5. Common problems
| Problem | Example | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Double honorific (ไบ้ๆฌ่ช): two honorific forms on one verb | ใใฃใใใใใ | ใใฃใใใ |
| Honorific for yourself | ใใใใ ใใใฃใใใใพใใ | ใใใใ ใพใใใพใใ |
| Humble for the other person | ใใใใใใพใ ใใใใพใใใ | ใใใใใใพใ ใใฃใใใใพใใใ |
| Wrong "inside" treatment | ใใใกใใใฏ ใใใฃใใใใพใใ (to a customer, about your own president) | ใใใกใใใฏ ใใใพใใ |
6. How this course is laid out
| Chapters | Topic |
|---|---|
| 2 | Honorific language (ๅฐๆฌ่ช) |
| 3 | Humble language (่ฌ่ญฒ่ช) |
| 4 | Business Japanese |
| 5 | Written style |
| 6 | Particles in depth |
| 7 | Adverbs and sentence-final particles |
| 8 | Onomatopoeia and mimetics |
| 9 | Kanji compounds and word formation |
| 10 | Connectors and compound sentences |
| 11 | Idiom, proverbs and spoken Japanese |
| 12 | Putting it together, the whole grammar track |
๐ฃ๏ธ In Use โ ใคใใใใ
Three relationships, three registers.
โ To a customer
โก To a boss
โข With a friend
๐ Quick Reference
| Level | Raises / lowers | Typical forms |
|---|---|---|
| Plain | no one | ใใ; ใในใ |
| Polite | the listener | ใใใพใ; ใงใ |
| Honorific (ๅฐๆฌ่ช) | raises the other person | ใใใฃใใใ; ใใฃใใใ; ใใใใใ |
| Humble (่ฌ่ญฒ่ช) | lowers me and my group | ใพใใ; ใใใ; ใใใ ใ; ใใใใ |
| Beautified (็พๅ่ช) | the word | ใใฟใ; ใใฏใ |
| Inside / outside | own group is lowered to outsiders | ใใชใใฏ ใใใพใใ |
โ๏ธ Practice โ ใใใใ ใ
Try each one, then click to check.
1. Which register raises the other person's action: ๅฐๆฌ่ช or ่ฌ่ญฒ่ช?
Show answer
ๅฐๆฌ่ช (honorific). ่ฌ่ญฒ่ช (humble) lowers your own.
2. Which is aimed at the listener: ไธๅฏง่ช or ๅฐๆฌ่ช?
Show answer
ไธๅฏง่ช (polite). Honorific and humble are aimed at the person talked about.
3. Honorific verb for "say": ใใ โ ?
Show answer
ใใฃใใใ
4. Humble verb for "go" (to visit): ใใ โ ?
Show answer
ใพใใ / ใใใใ
5. A customer asks for your boss (out of the office). Should you say ใใใฃใใใใพใใ or ใใใพใใ?
Show answer
ใใใพใใ: to outsiders your own group is lowered.
6. Which is right when telling a customer about your own father: ใใจใใใ or ใกใก?
Show answer
ใกใก (plain family word). ใใจใใใ is for someone else's father.
7. Spot the error: ใใใใ ใใใฃใใใใพใใ
Show answer
Honorific for yourself. Use ใพใใใพใ (or ใใใใใพใ for visiting).
8. Spot the error: ใใใใใใพใ ใใใใพใใใ
Show answer
Humble for the customer. Use ใใฃใใใใพใใ.
9. Why is ใใฃใใใใใ considered wrong?
Show answer
A double honorific: ใใฃใใใ is already honorific, and ใใใใ adds a second one.
10. Which verbs does ใใใฃใใใ cover in the honorific?
Show answer
"Go", "come" and "be (exist)".