Japanese Politeness Levels Explained

Japanese language is unique in its intricate system of politeness levels, which reflect the complex social relationships in Japanese society. In this guide, we’ll explore these levels using the common verb 食べる (taberu - to eat) as our example, making it easy to understand how the system works.

Table of Contents

1. Understanding Politeness Levels
2. Basic Forms of 食べる
3. Casual Speech
4. Polite Speech
5. Honorific Speech
6. Humble Speech
7. When to Use Each Level
8. Common Mistakes

Understanding Politeness Levels

Japanese has five main levels of politeness:

1. Casual (くだけた)

   • Used with friends and family
   • Shows closeness and informality

2. Polite (丁寧語 / ていねいご)

   • Standard politeness
   • Used in most everyday situations

3. Honorific (尊敬語 / そんけいご)

   • Shows respect to the subject
   • Used when talking about superiors

4. Humble (謙譲語 / けんじょうご)

   • Shows humility about your own actions
   • Used when talking about yourself to superiors

5. Super Polite (超丁寧 / ちょうていねい)

   • Extremely formal
   • Used in very formal business or ceremonial situations

Basic Forms of 食べる

Let’s see how 食べる changes across politeness levels:

Level	Form	Japanese	Romaji
Casual	Plain	食べる	taberu
Polite	です/ます	食べます	tabemasu
Honorific	お〜になる	お食べになる	otabeni naru
Humble	いただく	いただく	itadaku
Super Polite	いただきます	いただきます	itadakimasu

Casual Speech

Basic Plain Form Usage

食べる (taberu) - Present
食べた (tabeta) - Past
食べない (tabenai) - Negative
食べなかった (tabenakatta) - Past Negative

Example Sentences:

• 私はお寿司を食べる。
• Watashi wa osushi wo taberu.
• I eat sushi. (casual statement)

Polite Speech

Standard Polite Form

食べます (tabemasu) - Present
食べました (tabemashita) - Past
食べません (tabemasen) - Negative
食べませんでした (tabemasen deshita) - Past Negative

Example Sentences:

• 私はお寿司を食べます。
• Watashi wa osushi wo tabemasu.
• I eat sushi. (polite statement)

Honorific Speech

Respectful Forms

お食べになる (otabeni naru) - Present
お食べになりました (otabeni narimashita) - Past
お食べにならない (otabeni naranai) - Negative
お食べになりませんでした (otabeni narimasen deshita) - Past Negative

Example Sentences:

• 先生はもうお食べになりましたか。
• Sensei wa mou otabeni narimashita ka?
• Has the teacher eaten already? (showing respect)

Humble Speech

Humble Forms

いただく (itadaku) - Present
いただきました (itadakimashita) - Past
いただきません (itadakimasen) - Negative
いただきませんでした (itadakimasen deshita) - Past Negative

Example Sentences:

• お弁当をいただきます。
• Obentou wo itadakimasu.
• I will eat the lunch. (showing humility)

When to Use Each Level

Situation-Based Guide

1. Use Casual Forms When:

   • Talking with close friends
   • Speaking with family members
   • In informal situations
   • Writing in your diary

2. Use Polite Forms When:

   • Meeting someone for the first time
   • Speaking to customers
   • In general business situations
   • When unsure about the appropriate level

3. Use Honorific Forms When:

   • Talking about your superiors
   • Referring to customers’ actions
   • In formal business situations
   • Speaking about respected individuals

4. Use Humble Forms When:

   • Talking about your actions to superiors
   • In customer service situations
   • When showing respect to others
   • In formal business correspondence

Common Mistakes

1. Mixing Levels ❌ 先生が食べる。 ✅ 先生がお食べになります。

2. Overusing Honorifics ❌ 友達がお食べになります。 ✅ 友達が食べます。

3. Wrong Humble Usage ❌ 先生がいただきます。 ✅ 先生がお食べになります。

4. Inconsistent Style ❌ お食べになって、食べました。 ✅ お食べになって、いらっしゃいました。

Practice Tips

1. Context Recognition

   • Practice identifying appropriate levels for different situations
   • Learn to switch levels smoothly
   • Pay attention to social context

2. Pattern Practice

   • Practice converting between levels
   • Create example sentences for each level
   • Record yourself speaking in different styles

3. Real-World Application

   • Keep a conversation diary
   • Practice with native speakers
   • Watch Japanese dramas for context

Summary Chart

Context	Appropriate Form	Example
Friends	食べる	昨日ラーメンを食べた
Colleagues	食べます	一緒に食べましょう
Superior	お食べになる	部長はもうお食べになりましたか
About Self	いただく	ご馳走をいただきました

Conclusion

Understanding politeness levels in Japanese is crucial for proper communication. While we’ve used 食べる as an example, these patterns apply to most verbs in Japanese. Remember that context is key, and it’s better to be slightly too polite than too casual.

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Note: This article is part of our Japanese grammar series. Check out our other guides on verbs, adjectives, and more advanced grammar points.