Use humble language when speaking to a customer or someone you wish to show respect to about your own actions.

The idea

Kenjougo presents your action in relation to the person you respect. Some verbs have special forms: 行く becomes 伺う and 見る becomes 拝見する. For suitable verbs, use お + the ます-stem + する, as in お持ちします; some Sino-Japanese nouns use ご, as in ご案内します.

Patterns to compare
Ordinary formHumble form
行いく・来くる・訪たずねる伺うかがう
言いう申もうす
見みる拝見はいけんする
持もつお持もちする

Examples

  • 明日あした、そちらに伺うかがいます。I will visit you tomorrow.
  • 私わたしは山田やまだと申もうします。My name is Yamada.
  • 資料しりょうを拝見はいけんしました。I have looked at the documents.
  • 後あとで私わたしからお電話でんわします。I will call you later.
  • 私わたしが荷物にもつをお持もちします。I will carry your luggage.
  • 担当者たんとうしゃがご案内あんないします。The person in charge will guide you.

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 these humble forms for the respected person’s actions. When talking to a customer, your colleague can be treated as part of your own group, even if senior to you.

Try it yourself

  1. お客様きゃくさまの会社かいしゃへ行いきます → ＿。（伺うかがいます／いらっしゃいます）

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    伺います

    伺います is the humble form for visiting; いらっしゃいます describes a respected person’s movement.

  2. 私わたしが資料しりょうを見みます → ＿。（拝見はいけんします／ご覧らんになります）

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    拝見します

    拝見します humbly describes your seeing; ご覧になります is for the respected person.

  3. 私わたしが荷物にもつを持もちます → お＿します。

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    持ち

    Use the ます-stem 持ち between お and します: お持ちします.

Use it today

Tell a customer that you will visit and look at the documents, then offer to carry their luggage.