Kenjougo: Humble Language for Your Own Actions
Quick Answer: 謙譲語 (kenjougo) lowers the speaker's own actions to indirectly elevate the listener. Two patterns: (1) Special humble verbs (参る, 申す, いたす, etc.), (2) お/ご + verb stem + する/いたす.
Lowering yourself to show respect to others
Category: Keigo (Honorifics)
The Rule
謙譲語 (kenjougo) lowers the speaker's own actions to indirectly elevate the listener. Two patterns: (1) Special humble verbs (参る, 申す, いたす, etc.), (2) お/ご + verb stem + する/いたす. Used for YOUR actions when speaking to/about someone of higher status.
Why This Matters
The English equivalent would be 'I humbly...' but Japanese builds this directly into verb forms. While sonkeigo raises others, kenjougo lowers yourself — the effect is the same (widening the respect gap). In business, mixing up sonkeigo and kenjougo (e.g., using humble forms for your boss) is a serious blunder.
Examples
• 明日、お伺いいたします。 — "I will visit (your office) tomorrow." [Special humble: 行く/訪ねる → 伺う. お + 伺い + いたす for extra humility] • 私から申し上げます。 — "I will tell/explain (to you)." [Special humble: 言う → 申す/申し上げる] • 資料をお持ちしました。 — "I brought the materials (for you)." [お + stem + する: 持つ → お持ちする] • 少々お待ちください。 — "Please wait a moment." [お + stem + ください — polite request (technically sonkeigo form used as set phrase)]
Common Mistakes
❌ 社長が参りました。 ✅ 社長がいらっしゃいました。 → 参る is humble (for yourself). For the company president, use sonkeigo: いらっしゃる ❌ お客様に申し上げてください。 ✅ お客様におっしゃってください。 → If asking someone else to tell the customer, that person's action needs sonkeigo (おっしゃる), not kenjougo (申し上げる)
Quick Tip
The golden rule: sonkeigo for THEIR actions, kenjougo for YOUR actions. If in doubt, ask: 'Whose action is this?' → Mine = kenjougo, Theirs = sonkeigo.
The golden rule: sonkeigo for THEIR actions, kenjougo for YOUR actions. If in doubt, ask: 'Whose action is this?' → Mine = kenjougo, Theirs = sonkeigo.
Examples
Common Mistakes
Incorrect: 社長が参りました。 → Correct: 社長がいらっしゃいました。. 参る is humble (for yourself). For the company president, use sonkeigo: いらっしゃる
Incorrect: お客様に申し上げてください。 → Correct: お客様におっしゃってください。. If asking someone else to tell the customer, that person's action needs sonkeigo (おっしゃる), not kenjougo (申し上げる)
Quiz
Which is the correct humble form for 'I will do it'?