Honorifics Introduction Lesson 3
Mastering the special honorific verbs いらっしゃる and おっしゃる to speak politely about others.
A Day at the Office
Imagine you are at a business meeting. Your boss asks you about a client's arrival time or what they said during the presentation. If you use standard verbs like 来る (to come) or 言う (to say), it might sound blunt or disrespectful to the client.
Special Honorific Verbs
Some common verbs have irregular honorific forms. These are used when the subject of the sentence is someone you respect (like a client, teacher, or superior).
Watch out
Seeing Honorifics in Action
Notice how these verbs replace standard ones to create a polite atmosphere.
社長はもういらっしゃいました。
The president has already arrived.
先生は何とおっしゃいましたか。
What did the teacher say?
お客様が【いらっしゃいます】。
Hint: The honorific form of 'to come/be'.
The guest is here (arrived).
Register and Nuance
These verbs are essential for N3-level business communication. They are significantly more polite than standard polite forms (desu/masu).
Standard vs. Honorific
言います
Standard polite
先生が言いました
おっしゃいます
Respectful honorific
先生がおっしゃいました
Which sentence is appropriate when speaking to a client about their boss?
- 社長が来ます。
- ✓ 社長がいらっしゃいます。
いらっしゃいます is the correct honorific verb for 'to come' when referring to someone you respect.
Advanced Usage
A few extra details for those interested in mastering the nuance.
Conjugation rules
Lesson Summary
Using いらっしゃる and おっしゃる allows you to show proper respect in professional or formal settings. Remember to use them only for others, never for yourself.