Keigo
There are several different levels of politeness in the Japanese language, keigo(敬語) being the highest. Keigo can be classified into three categories: sonkeigo (listener is of higher status), kenjougo (to humble oneself) and teineigo (used only to express politeness).
Example of usage
| Standard verb | keigo | keigo hiragana | translation | category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| する | 致す | いたす | to do | kenjougo |
| 知る | 存じる | ぞんじる | to know | |
| 食べる | 頂く | いただく | to eat | kenjougo |
| 食べる | 召し上がる | めしあがる | to eat | sonkeigo |