Use いらっしゃる to speak respectfully about another person’s location or movement.

The idea

いらっしゃる is the honorific counterpart of いる, 行く and 来る. The destination or location and context determine the meaning. Its polite form is いらっしゃいます; the て form is いらっしゃって.

Patterns to compare
Dictionary formPolite non-pastPolite negativePolite pastて form
いらっしゃるいらっしゃいますいらっしゃいませんいらっしゃいましたいらっしゃって

Examples

  • 先生せんせいは教室きょうしつにいらっしゃいます。The teacher is in the classroom.
  • 社長しゃちょうは明日あした、大阪おおさかへいらっしゃいます。The company president is going to Osaka tomorrow.
  • 田中たなかさんはもういらっしゃいましたか。Has Ms Tanaka arrived already?
  • お客様きゃくさまはまだいらっしゃいません。The guest has not arrived yet.
  • 先生せんせいはどちらにいらっしゃいますか。Where is the teacher?
  • 部長ぶちょうが会議かいぎにいらっしゃる予定よていです。The department head is scheduled to come to the meeting.

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Watch out

Do not use it to elevate yourself or normally your own group when speaking to an outsider. まいります is a humble form of going or coming, not an honorific for the teacher.

Try it yourself

  1. ＿。（いらっしゃる→ます）

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    いらっしゃいます

    いらっしゃいます is the irregular polite non-past form; the expected stem is いらっしゃい, not いらっしゃり.

  2. ＿。（いらっしゃる→て）

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    いらっしゃって

    いらっしゃって is the て form, with a small っ.

  3. 先生せんせいは教室きょうしつに＿。（いらっしゃいます／まいります）

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    いらっしゃいます

    いらっしゃいます respectfully describes the teacher’s presence; まいります humbles the speaker’s movement.

Use it today

Describe where a teacher is and where they will go tomorrow, using the polite form.