Japanese Keigo Guide — Sonkeigo, Kenjōgo & Teineigo Explained [JLPT N3]

Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026

Master all three types of Japanese honorifics — when to use each, with business examples and practice.

Complete guide to Japanese keigo: sonkeigo, kenjougo, teineigo — the three types at once

Keigo (敬語) is the hardest — and most tact-revealing — part of Japanese. It splits into three types: sonkeigo (elevating the other), kenjougo (lowering yourself), teineigo (です・ます, base politeness). Used right, business and senior interactions instantly read professional and courteous; used wrong (e.g. applying sonkeigo to yourself), it's embarrassing. This is the complete guide: the three types' roles, the 20 most important keigo verbs, practical business scenarios, and the most common mistakes.

🧭 Pick the right keigo in one minute (decision guide)

Three kinds of keigo — decided by ‘whose action it is':

• The action is by ‘the other person／someone to respect' → use sonkeigo (respectful) (いらっしゃる・召し上がる・ご覧になる), raising them up.
• The action is by ‘yourself／your side' → use kenjōgo (humble) (伺う・申す・いたす・拝見する), lowering yourself.
• Just being generally polite, to anyone → use teineigo (polite) (です・ます).

Key: sonkeigo raises them, kenjōgo lowers you, teineigo is the baseline. The most common error is using sonkeigo for your own action (✗ 私がいらっしゃいます). Special-verb tables and business usage below.

The Most Important Keigo Verbs

Building Keigo with Formulas

Sonkeigo: お・ご ＋ verb stem ＋ になる

Kenjōgo: お・ご ＋ verb stem ＋ する

Teineigo: The Polite Base (ます / です)

Business Keigo in Action

Answering the Phone

• お電話ありがとうございます。〇〇株式会社でございます。

(Thank you for calling. This is 〇〇 Co., Ltd.)

• 少々お待ちください。

(One moment, please.)

• ただいま担当者に確認いたします。

(I'll check with the person in charge right away.)

Business Email

• お世話になっております。〇〇会社の△△と申します。

(Thank you for your continued support. This is △△ from 〇〇 Company.)

• ご確認のほど、よろしくお願い申し上げます。

(I would be grateful if you could kindly confirm.)

• ご不明な点がございましたら、お気軽にお申し付けください。

(If anything is unclear, please don't hesitate to let me know.)

Visiting a Client

• 本日はお時間をいただき、ありがとうございます。

(Thank you for making time for me today.)

• よろしければ、ご説明させていただいてもよろしいでしょうか。

(If you don't mind, may I walk you through it?)

Common Keigo Mistakes

💡 An exam judgment tip

Keigo looks complex, but the three types' roles give you the skeleton: ① sonkeigo = elevating the “other's” action (いらっしゃる = honorific “come/go/be,” 召し上がる = honorific “eat”); ② kenjougo = lowering “your own” action (参る = humble “come/go,” 申す = humble “say,” いただく = humble “eat/receive”); ③ teineigo = です・ます (base politeness, usable anywhere). The easiest error is direction: the other's action takes sonkeigo, your own action takes kenjougo — don't reverse them (✗ 部長が参る = applying humble form to the manager). Also avoid “double keigo” (お召し上がりになられる is overdone). For business, master 「いらっしゃる／なさる／おっしゃる／召し上がる (honorific)」 and 「参る／いたす／申す／いただく (humble)」 and you'll handle most situations. For kenjougo details, see the 〈kenjougo〉 guide.

❓ Quick FAQ

Q: How do I tell sonkeigo, kenjougo, and teineigo apart, and when do I use each?

By whose action it is, and how formal. ① Sonkeigo = elevating the “other's (or a respected person's)” action: 部長がいらっしゃる (the manager comes/is — the other's action), 先生がおっしゃる (the teacher says — the other's action). ② Kenjougo = lowering “your own (or your side's)” action, thereby elevating the other: 私が参ります (I come/go — my action), 私がご説明します (I'll explain). ③ Teineigo = です・ます, base politeness, usable anywhere, with any subject (行きます, です). Test: the other's action → sonkeigo; your own action → kenjougo; base politeness → teineigo. Reversing the direction (sonkeigo for yourself, kenjougo for the other) is the biggest error.

Q: What are the most common keigo mistakes?

Three kinds: ① Reversed direction — applying sonkeigo to yourself (✗ 私がいらっしゃいます→○ 私が参ります) or kenjougo to the other (✗ 部長が参る→○ 部長がいらっしゃる). Remember “the other = honorific, yourself = humble.” ② Double keigo (overdone) — stacking two layers on one action (✗ お召し上がりになられる, ✗ おっしゃられる); one layer suffices. ③ In-group toward outsiders — when speaking to an outsider about your own company's people (your boss), the boss takes humble form (✗ 部長がおっしゃった → to an outsider ○ 部長が申しました), because toward outsiders “your own company” is “your side.” These three are the most common keigo traps, especially in business. (For kenjougo details, see the 〈kenjougo〉 guide.)

🖊️ Practice Quiz

Q1. What kind of keigo is 「田中部長がいらっしゃいます」?

(A) honorific language (respectful)　(B) humble language (humble)　(C) polite language (polite)　(D) plain

Q2. 「私がご説明___」Fill in the humble form.

(A) なさいます　(B) いたします　(C) めしあがります　(D) おっしゃいます

Q3. In 「お客様のご都合はいかがでしょうか」, what does 「いかが」 mean?

(A) how (polite)　(B) why　(C) where　(D) when

Q4. Convert 「先生が言いました」 to the respectful form.

(A) 先生が申しました　(B) 先生がおっしゃいました　(C) 先生が存じました　(D) 先生が伺いました

Q5. Which is double keigo (an incorrect usage)?

(A) おっしゃいます　(B) いただきます　(C) おっしゃられます　(D) ございます

Answer Key

1. (A) 尊敬語 ── いらっしゃる is the respectful form of いる/行く/来る, used for the other party's (部長's) action.

2. (B) いたします ── ご説明いたします = humble (describing one's own action). なさる is respectful.

3. (A) how (polite) ── いかが is the polite ‘how/how about.'

4. (B) 先生がおっしゃいました ── おっしゃる is the respectful of 言う. (申す/存じる/伺う are humble.)

5. (C) おっしゃられます ── double keigo (おっしゃる already respectful ＋ られる); incorrect.