Use this pattern to speak respectfully about another person’s action, for example a teacher or customer.
The idea
Remove ます from the polite verb form and add お before the stem and になる after it: 読みます → お読みになる. Conjugate なる for tense and politeness: お読みになりました.
| Verb | Respectful form |
|---|---|
| 読む | お読みになる |
| 待つ | お待ちになる |
| 帰る | お帰りになる |
Examples
- 先生はこの本をお読みになります。The teacher will read this book.
- お客様はあちらでお待ちになっています。The customer is waiting over there.
- 部長はいつお帰りになりますか。When will the department head return?
- 先生は手紙をお書きになりました。The teacher wrote a letter.
- お客様はこの部屋をお選びになりました。The guest chose this room.
- 先生はこの後、お話しになります。The teacher will speak after this.
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Watch out
Do not use this to elevate your own actions. Some verbs have established special honorific forms, such as いらっしゃる for 行く, 来る and いる; not every verb naturally takes this pattern.
Try it yourself
読む → お＿になります。（読み／読んで）
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読み
読みます loses ます to give 読み; お読みになります is respectful.
待つ → お＿になりました。（待ち／待って）
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待ち
待ちます gives 待ち; になりました marks the action as past.
帰る → お＿になります。（帰り／帰る）
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帰り
帰ります gives 帰り, followed by になります.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
読む → お＿になります。（読み／読んで）
待つ → お＿になりました。（待ち／待って）
帰る → お＿になります。（帰り／帰る）
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Describe a teacher reading and a customer waiting. Form the stem first, then choose the ending that fits the time.