Formal keigo depends on whose action you describe and who is listening.

The idea

Respectful forms such as いらっしゃる and ご存じです elevate the other person’s action or state. Humble forms such as 伺う and 存じております present your own action or knowledge modestly toward the listener. When speaking to a client, a colleague may be treated as part of your in-group.

Examples

  • 先生せんせいはもういらっしゃいました。The teacher has already arrived.
  • 私わたしが資料しりょうをお持もちします。I will bring the materials.
  • 部長ぶちょうはその件けんをご存ぞんじです。The department head knows about the matter.
  • 私わたしはその件けんを存ぞんじております。I am aware of the matter.
  • 恐おそれ入いりますが、ご確認かくにんいただけますか。Excuse me, but could you check it?
  • 担当たんとうの山田やまだが後のちほど伺うかがいます。Yamada, who is in charge, will visit you later.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

Do not use いらっしゃいます for your own visit or ご存じです for your own knowledge. More honorific layers do not automatically make a sentence more appropriate; tone and the burden of a request matter too.

Try it yourself

  1. お客様きゃくさまが来くる → お客様きゃくさまが＿。（いらっしゃいます／伺うかがいます）

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    いらっしゃいます

    いらっしゃいます respectfully describes the customer’s arrival.

  2. 私わたしが訪問ほうもんする → 私わたしが＿。（いらっしゃいます／伺うかがいます）

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    伺います

    伺います humbly describes your visit to the other person.

  3. 私わたしが知しっている → 私わたしは＿。（ご存ぞんじです／存ぞんじております）

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    存じております

    存じております modestly expresses your own knowledge.

Use it today

Choose a form for a client’s arrival, your own visit and your own knowledge. Then explain your choice to a colleague.