N3#keigo#honorifics#verbs#business-japanese

Honorifics Introduction Lesson 4

Mastering special honorific verbs: いらっしゃる and おっしゃる to elevate your business and formal Japanese communication.

Context

The Client Visit

Imagine you are meeting a high-ranking client at your company office. You need to ask them if they have arrived safely or confirm what they said during the meeting. Using standard polite forms like 'きましたか' (did you come?) or 'いいましたか' (did you say?) can sound blunt or even rude in this professional context.

In Japanese business culture, we use Sonkeigo (respectful language) to show deference to the listener. By replacing common verbs with special honorific equivalents, you demonstrate professionalism and respect for the other person's status.

Explanation

Special Honorific Verbs

Some common verbs have unique honorific forms that replace the verb entirely. Today we focus on two essential ones: いらっしゃる (to go/come/be) and おっしゃる (to say).

Subject (Superior)がHonorific Verbます

いらっしゃる is the respectful version of 行く (to go), 来る (to come), and いる (to be). It is used when the person performing the action is someone you respect. For example, instead of saying 'Where is the manager?', you would say 'Where is the manager (いらっしゃいますか)?'

おっしゃる is the respectful version of 言う (to say). Note that it is a special verb that conjugates like a group 1 verb (e.g., おっしゃいます, おっしゃいました). Use this whenever you refer to a superior's speech or opinion.

Watch out

Never use these verbs to describe your own actions. Honorifics are strictly for the actions of others whom you wish to show respect toward.

Examples

Usage in Sentences

See how these verbs function in natural business situations.

社長(しゃちょう)はいらっしゃいますか。

Is the president here?

社長しゃちょうpresident/managerははtopic markerいらっしゃいますいらっしゃいますis (honorific)かかquestion marker

先生(せんせい)がそうおっしゃいました。

The teacher said so.

先生せんせいteacherががsubject markerそうそうsoおっしゃいましたおっしゃいましたsaid (honorific)

Which sentence correctly uses honorifics to ask if a client is coming?

お客様が来ますか。
✓ お客様がいらっしゃいますか。
お客様が言いますか。
お客様がいりますか。

いらっしゃいます is the correct honorific form for 'to come' when referring to a client.

Usage

Register and Nuance

Honorifics are essential for maintaining professional distance and showing respect.

Standard vs. Honorific

言います

Standard polite

部長が言いました。

おっしゃいます

Respectful honorific

部長がおっしゃいました。

When should you use おっしゃる?

When talking about your own opinion.
✓ When talking about a client's opinion.
When talking to a close friend.
When writing a casual email.

おっしゃる is used to show respect for the person you are talking about (usually a superior or client).

Deep dive

Advanced Notes

A few extra details for advanced learners.

Remember that いらっしゃる is irregular in its conjugation. While it ends in 'る', it follows the 'i-column' conjugation pattern (e.g., いらっしゃいます, not いらっしゃります). Also, note that the imperative form 'いらっしゃい' is often used in a friendly, welcoming way (like in shops), but in formal business, you should stick to the polite 'いらっしゃいます' or 'いらっしゃってください'.

Summary

Lesson Recap

In this lesson, we introduced two key honorific verbs: いらっしゃる (to go/come/be) and おっしゃる (to say). These verbs are vital for showing respect to superiors and clients in professional settings. Always remember to use them only for others, never for yourself.

いらっしゃる

いらっしゃるverb

to go/come/be (honorific)

おっしゃる

おっしゃるverb

to say (honorific)

社長

しゃちょうnoun

company president

お客様

おきゃくさまnoun

customer/guest