Learn the most important replacing-form respectful verbs in Japanese, with meanings, examples, and when they are used.
Japanese Respectful Verbs: The Main Replacing Forms
~6 min read
In a nutshell: Replacing-form verbs are the heavyweight champions of respectful language. In this lesson, you’ll meet the six most common replacing forms, learn what they replace, and get up to speed on some of their quirks.
Table of Contents
Replacing Form: The Strongest Respectful Verbs
Replacing forms are the strongest type of respectful verb. So expect to find them in:
○ formal contexts, and
○ situations where you’re describing the actions of someone higher in social status (your boss, a customer) or when you want to make a good impression.
Quick recap:
Replacing-form verbs do exactly what their name suggests:
They replace a plain verb with a completely different respectful verb.
Example:
食べるたべる → 召し上がるめしあがる (poof! 食べるたべる is nowhere to be seen.)
You can use respectful language for both:
○ a present referent (a person you’re talking to), and
○ a non-present referent (a person you’re talking about).
The Six Core Replacing Form Verbs
These six show up everywhere in real life and split nicely into two groups:
1. Replacing forms that replace one plain verb.
2. Replacing forms that replace multiple plain verbs.
| ENGLISH | PLAIN VERB | RESPECTFUL VERB |
|---|---|---|
| To say | 言う いう | 仰る おっしゃる |
| To give | くれる | 下さる くださる |
| To do | する | 為さる なさる |
| To see | 見る みる | ご覧になる ごらんになる |
| To be (animate) | 居る いる | いらっしゃる |
| to come | 来る くる | いらっしゃる |
| to go | 行く いく △ | いらっしゃる |
| To eat | 食べる たべる | 召し上がる めしあがる |
| To drink | 飲む のむ | 召し上がる めしあがる |
Group 1: Replacing Forms That Replace One Plain Verb
A key idea for respectful language is that verbs carry:
○ a core meaning, and
○ an expressive meaning
Click here if you need a refresh.
If a replacing form replaces only one plain verb, its core meaning is simply the same as the original plain verb. The new meaning? That’s the expressive layer raising the referent.
#1 おっしゃる (仰るおっしゃる) — “to say”
You take the plain verb:
○ 言ういう (“to say”) ( P-1 )
…and swap it for a completely different respectful verb:
○ 仰るおっしゃる ( P+1 )
Example
English: “You’re absolutely right, as you said.”
Japanese:
*note the switch from さん to 様さま — this will be covered in more detail in names. (Coming Soon)
#2 くださる (下さるくださる) — “to give”
Plain: くれる (“to give”) (
P-1
)
Respectful: 下さるくださる (
P+1
)
Example
English: “My teacher gave me this book.”
Japanese:
This verb is so important that it’ll get its own lesson — directional verbs. (Coming soon)
#3 なさる (為さるなさる) — “to do”
Plain: する (“to do”) (
P-1
)
Respectful: 為さるなさる (
P+1
)
Example
English: “Will you attend the year-end party?”
Japanese:
忘年会ぼうねんかいに
出席しゅっせきしますか？ (
P0
)
忘年会ぼうねんかいに
出席しゅっせきなさいますか？ (
P+1
)
We’ll look at how to combine 為さるなさる together with adding-respectful forms in a separate lesson — nasaru. (Coming soon)
#4 ごらんになる(ご覧になるごらんになる) — “to see / look”
You take the plain verb:
○ 見るみる (“to see”) ( P-1 )
…and swap it for a completely different respectful verb:
○ ご覧になるごらんになる ( P+1 )
Example
English: “Would you like to see the menu ?”
Japanese:
Key takeaway: these four replacing forms have one core meaning and the added expressive meaning of raising the referent.
Group 2: Replacing Forms That Replace Multiple Plain Verbs
Now for the loose cannons.
These verbs can replace more than one plain verb. That means:
○ they have multiple possible core meanings, and
○ context decides which one you mean
This ambiguity helps make us sound less direct and is actually part of what helps make these verbs respectful.
#5 いらっしゃる — “to go / come / be”
いらっしゃる can mean:
○ 行くいく — “to go”
○ 来るくる — “to come”
○ 居るいる — “to be” (animate / living)
Example #1: 行く
English: “Are you going to Roppongi?”
Japanese:
本日ほんじつは、六本木ろっぽんぎへ行きますいきますか？ (
P0
)
本日ほんじつは、六本木ろっぽんぎへいらっしゃいますか？ (
P+1
)
Example #2: 行く
English: “Please go ahead?”
Japanese:
* there is no possible P0 level command form 行きましていきまして or 行きませいきませ.
** いらして is the common contracted te-form of いらっしゃって.
Example #3: 来る
English: “Will Mr./Ms. Suzuki be coming next week?”
Japanese:
鈴木すずきさんは、来週らいしゅう来ますきますか？ (
P0
)
鈴木様すずきさまは、来週らいしゅういらっしゃいますか？ (
P+1
)
Example #4: 居る
English: “Where is Mr./Ms. Tanaka?”
Japanese:
Notes:
1. いらっしゃる is usually written in kana.
2. the (ra)reru form of 行くいく (行かれるいかれる) is commonly used instead of いらっしゃる.
#6 めしあがる(召し上がるめしあがる) — “to eat / drink”
召し上がるめしあがる can replace:
○ 食べるたべる — “to eat”
○ 飲むのむ — “to drink”
Example #1: 食べる
English: “Will you be dining?”
Japanese:
*note the addition of the particle お to the front of the noun 食事しょくじ. This will be covered in prefixes. (Coming soon)
Example #2: 飲む:
English: “Would you like a drink?”
Japanese:
Example #3: Ambiguous (食べる and/or 飲む)
English: “For here (or to go)?”
Japanese:
* I feel like the (ra)reru form 飲まれるのまれる may be the more common respectful verb for 飲むのむ. However, I haven’t yet found statistical data to support this, so take it with a grain of salt!
Shameless Plug
Respectful verbs don’t always behave how you’d expect. I go into the two places learners get stuck most in two bonus (patreon only) lessons.
1. Polite form (〜ます)
It goes without saying that making replacing forms into their polite form (〜ます) is an essential part of politeness. But, not all replacing verbs are made polite in the same way.
2. Telling people to do things respectfully
“Subscribe to my mailing list!” or “become a Patreon!” — these are all examples of commands. Learning how to tell people to do things respectfully is super-duper important.
Click here to learn more.