Keigo (敬語), Japanese honorific language, has a reputation for being impossibly complicated. It's true that native speakers spend years refining it, but the core system is learnable, and the part the JLPT tests is fairly predictable. If you plan to work in Japan or with Japanese companies, keigo is also one of the most practical skills you can build. Here's a clear breakdown of how it works, the verbs worth memorizing first, and how it appears on the exam and at work.
The three types of keigo
Keigo is usually divided into three categories:
1. Teineigo (丁寧語) — polite language
This is the です / ます style you learn at N5. It's polite toward the listener without raising or lowering anyone. Most everyday polite conversation with strangers, shop staff, or colleagues uses teineigo.
2. Sonkeigo (尊敬語) — respectful language
Sonkeigo raises the other person by using special verbs or forms for their actions. You use it when talking about what a customer, client, teacher, or superior does.
- 社長がいらっしゃいます。— The company president is here.
- 先生は何を召し上がりますか。— What will you (teacher) have to eat?
3. Kenjougo (謙譲語) — humble language
Kenjougo lowers yourself (or your group) when describing your own actions toward the other person.
- 明日、御社に伺います。— I will visit your company tomorrow.
- 私が資料をお送りします。— I will send you the materials.
The key rule: sonkeigo for their actions, kenjougo for your actions. Mixing these up — using humble forms for a customer's actions — is the most common keigo error, and a favourite JLPT trap.
The special verbs to memorize first
Many common verbs have special keigo forms rather than following a pattern. These are worth learning as a table:
| Plain | Sonkeigo (their action) | Kenjougo (my action) |
|---|---|---|
| いる | いらっしゃる | おる |
| 行く / 来る | いらっしゃる / おいでになる | 参る / 伺う |
| 言う | おっしゃる | 申す / 申し上げる |
| する | なさる | いたす |
| 食べる / 飲む | 召し上がる | いただく |
| 見る | ご覧になる | 拝見する |
| 知っている | ご存じだ | 存じている |
| 会う | お会いになる | お目にかかる |
| もらう | — | いただく |
| くれる | くださる | — |
For verbs without special forms, there are general patterns:
- Sonkeigo: お + verb stem + になる (お待ちになる) or the passive-form honorific (待たれる).
- Kenjougo: お / ご + verb stem + する (お待ちする, ご案内する).
How keigo appears on the JLPT
- N4: basic recognition of common honorific verbs (いらっしゃる, 召し上がる, 申す) and polite request forms.
- N3: choosing between sonkeigo and kenjougo in grammar questions, and understanding keigo in listening — announcements, shop conversations, phone calls.
- N2–N1: keigo appears throughout reading and listening, especially in business situations: emails, workplace conversations, customer service. Questions often hinge on who is doing the action, which keigo signals even when the subject isn't stated.
That last point is worth stressing: in Japanese, subjects are often omitted, and keigo is how you know who did what. 伺います means I will visit; いらっしゃいます means they will come. Missing that can mean misreading a whole conversation.
Keigo at work
If you're aiming for a job in Japan, keigo matters from the first interview. A few practical points:
- Start with teineigo done well. Consistent です / ます with clear, polite phrasing is better than shaky, overreaching keigo.
- Learn fixed business phrases as chunks: お世話になっております, 少々お待ちください, 承知いたしました, 失礼いたします. These cover a huge share of daily workplace communication.
- Inside vs outside your company. When talking to someone outside your company, use humble forms even for your own boss: 部長の田中は席を外しております. This in-group/out-group distinction surprises many learners.
- Email is a great place to practise. Business emails are formulaic, so reading and copying good examples builds keigo quickly.
For how the JLPT level you hold affects job prospects, see is the JLPT worth it?, and for living and studying in Japan at the same time, see learning Japanese while living in Japan.
How to study keigo efficiently
- Memorize the special-verb table above, both directions.
- Always ask "whose action?" when you meet a keigo form in reading or listening.
- Learn business phrases as complete chunks, not word by word.
- Practise with listening. Keigo in speech is faster and more frequent than in textbooks — shop and phone conversations are ideal.
- Log your mistakes. Sonkeigo/kenjougo mix-ups belong in your mistake log.
JLPT Ready includes keigo within its grammar and vocabulary chapters, with plain-language explanations in English, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and both Chinese scripts. In the Dojo, every practice question — including listening questions set in shops and offices — has an AI explanation, which helps pinpoint whether a mistake came from the vocabulary or from misreading whose action a keigo verb described. For where keigo fits into your overall plan, see the complete JLPT preparation guide.
The takeaway
Keigo has three layers: polite (です / ます), respectful (their actions), and humble (your actions). Memorize the special verbs, always ask whose action a verb describes, learn business phrases as chunks, and practise with real listening. It's tested more as you climb the levels, and it's essential at work in Japan. If you'd like structured grammar practice with explanations for every question, you can start JLPT Ready free with N5 — no card required.