Keigo is the part of Japanese that every Japanese learner encounters an obstacle with. For some it can be interesting and even fun to study, for others, it can be a challenge and make you want to give up. If you have studied Japanese, maybe you know what I’m talking about.
What is Keigo?
It means “respectful speech”. The ‘aim’ of Keigo is to show consideration and respect when speaking to a person older than you, or with a different position or experience in a company or society. It is especially important to work in companies, especially in customer service or meetings with other companies.
Types of Keigo
Below is a brief explanation (in the simplest possible way) of three types of Keigo:
- Teineigo: It is the standard polite form, which we Japanese learners first learn. (Desu is one good example.)
- Sonkeigo: It is used to show respect or to refer to the actions of superior persons. It can never be used to refer to your own actions.
- Kenjougo: It denotes modesty, so it is used for your own actions.
Let’s take the verb “to eat” as an example:
Teineigo: tabemasu/食べます
Sonkeigo: meshiagarimasu/召し上がります
Kenjougo: itadakimasu/いただきます
As you can see, they are completely different, and depending on the situation, one or the other would be used.
Do I find it interesting or challenging?
When I first studied keigo, I obviously didn’t understand anything, and no matter how much I went through the grammar and its explanations, I couldn’t understand the use of each type of Keigo. And honestly, I still can’t understand it completely. Although I have tried many times to comprehend it, I find it very difficult to understand it due to its complexity, so I have chosen to focus on the teineigo form, which is sufficient to show respect in an everyday context. Keigo is not only a part of a language, it is a part of culture, so I guess it is difficult (not impossible) for a foreigner to know how to use it fluently because we don’t have the Japanese cultural background as they do. And for you, is it fun or challenging?
