Use なさる to speak respectfully about what another person does.

The idea

なさる is the honorific equivalent of する. Use it for the actions of a person you wish to respect, such as a teacher or customer. With verbal nouns, use either 研究をなさる or 研究なさる. Its polite stem is irregular: なさいます.

Patterns to compare
Dictionary formPolite non-pastPolite negativePolite pastて form
なさるなさいますなさいませんなさいましたなさって

Examples

  • 先生せんせいは毎日まいにち研究けんきゅうをなさいます。The professor does research every day.
  • 社長しゃちょうは昨日きのう出張しゅっちょうなさいました。The company president went on a business trip yesterday.
  • 部長ぶちょうはテニスをなさいますか。Do you play tennis, manager?
  • 先生せんせいは今日きょう、授業じゅぎょうをなさいません。The teacher will not teach a class today.
  • 先生せんせいが説明せつめいなさって、皆みなが分わかりました。The teacher explained, and everyone understood.
  • 先生せんせいはどんな研究けんきゅうをなさるのですか。What kind of research do you do, professor?

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 なさる to elevate your own actions; いたす is a humble equivalent of する. The て form is なさって, while なさい is an imperative whose tone depends on context.

Try it yourself

  1. ＿。（なさる→ます）

    Show answer or example answer

    なさいます

    なさいます is the irregular polite non-past form; it can refer to the present or future.

  2. ＿。（なさる→て）

    Show answer or example answer

    なさって

    なさって is the て form, used to connect clauses or form further expressions.

  3. 先生せんせいは研究けんきゅうを＿。（なさいます／いたします）

    Show answer or example answer

    なさいます

    なさいます honors the teacher who does the research; いたします humbly describes the speaker’s action.

Use it today

Describe a teacher’s activity with なさる, then change the sentence to the polite past.