Use 申す when speaking modestly about your own words or name in a formal setting.
The idea
申す is a godan verb and a humble equivalent of 言う. It often appears as 名前と申します (“my name is…”) or in formal statements addressed to a listener. Its polite stem is 申し, and its て form is 申して.
| Dictionary form | Polite non-past | Polite past | て form |
|---|---|---|---|
| 申す | 申します | 申しました | 申して |
Examples
- 私は田中と申します。My name is Tanaka.
- 佐藤由紀と申します。My name is Yuki Sato.
- 私の意見を申します。I will give my opinion.
- それは昨日、申しました。I said that yesterday.
- もう一度、説明を申し上げます。I will explain it once more.
- 弊社の代表は鈴木と申します。Our representative is called Suzuki.
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Watch out
Do not use 申す to elevate the listener’s speech: use the respectful おっしゃる for what a person you respect says. Humble wording depends on the speaker and social context.
Try it yourself
＿。（申す→ます）
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申します
申します is the polite non-past form: the す changes to し before ます.
＿。（申す→て）
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申して
申して is the て form of this godan verb; す changes to して.
私は田中と＿。（申します／おっしゃいます）
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申します
申します fits a humble introduction of the speaker; おっしゃいます honors another person’s speech.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
＿。（申す→ます）
＿。（申す→て）
私は田中と＿。（申します／おっしゃいます）
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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Introduce yourself with と申します, then make a polite past sentence using 申しました.