Honorifics Introduction Lesson 5
Mastering the special honorific verbs いらっしゃる and おっしゃる to elevate your Japanese business communication.
Meeting a Client
Imagine you are at a business meeting. Your boss asks a client, 'What did you say?' or 'Are you going to the office tomorrow?' If you use standard polite forms like 行きます (ikimasu) or 言います (iimasu), you might sound slightly blunt or unprofessional to a high-ranking client.
The Grammar of Respect
These verbs are 'special' because they do not follow the standard conjugation rules for creating honorifics (like お〜になる). They are irregular and must be memorized as complete units.
Watch out
Seeing it in Action
Observe how these verbs replace the standard forms to create a polite atmosphere.
社長は明日、会社にいらっしゃいますか。
Will the president be at the office tomorrow?
先生がそうおっしゃいました。
The teacher said so.
どちらへいらっしゃいますか。
Where are you going?
お客様が「また来ます」と【おっしゃいました】。
Hint: The honorific form of 'said' (past tense).
The customer said, 'I will come again.'
Register and Nuance
These verbs are essential in formal business environments. Using them shows you are well-trained in Japanese etiquette.
Standard vs. Honorific
言います
Standard polite (Desu/Masu)
おっしゃいます
Respectful (Sonkeigo)
Which sentence is appropriate when speaking to a client?
- 田中部長がそう言いました。
- ✓ 田中部長がそうおっしゃいました。
おっしゃいました is the correct honorific form for a superior's action.
Conjugation Patterns
Since these are special verbs, keep an eye on their conjugation patterns.
Conjugation Table
Lesson Recap
In this lesson, we introduced two crucial honorific verbs. Use いらっしゃる for 'to go/come/be' and おっしゃる for 'to say' when referring to the actions of someone you respect. Always remember to use these only for others, never for yourself.