Polite Forms

2.3.1 Introduction to Polite Forms

By コトバ君 ・ Japanese Honorifics ・ ~7 min read

To decode the meaning of polite language, we first need to recognise and understand its different forms.

In this book, we’ll work with two polite language forms that share the work between them, depending on what kind of word (noun, verb, etc.) is being turned into an honorific-style expression.

Politeness Levels: P⁻¹ and P⁰

We’ll label things like this:

• P⁰ → forms or sentences that use polite language
• P⁻¹ → forms or sentences that use plain language (no polite form)

So:

• A sentence with desu or masu at the end → P⁰ (polite speech)
• A sentence without desu/masu at the end → P⁻¹ (plain speech)

This gives us a simple binary. But like most binaries, it has its limits.

Both plain and polite language actually come in many flavours, creating a kind of scale:

• some plain forms are “more plain” than others
• some polite forms are “more polite” than others

We’ll see how this spectrum affects meaning in later sections, but for now the P⁻¹ / P⁰ distinction will be our basic tool.

What Polite Forms Actually Do

The core job of the polite form is its expressive meaning:

It creates horizontal distance between the speaker and the addressee.

Because this distance is always aimed at the listener, polite language is a type of addressee honorific.

Important point:

Polite language only carries expressive meaning.

Its core meaning comes from the expression that it follows. Let’s look at some examples.

Example: 話す vs 話します

hanasu 話す

Core meaning: “speak”

hanashimasu 話します

Core meaning: “speak”

Expressive meaning: the speaker creates horizontal distance with the addressee. The action is the same (“speak”), but hanashimasu adds distance towards the listener.

Example: これは美味しい vs これは美味しいです

kore wa oishii これは美味しい

Core meaning: “this is tasty”

kore wa oishii desu これは美味しいです

Core meaning: “this is tasty”

Expressive meaning: the speaker creates horizontal distance with the addressee. Again, the core meaning of the sentence doesn’t change. The polite form adds distance, and from that distance we can start to interpret social meanings (formality, respect, lack of familiarity, etc.).

What We Mean by “Polite Language”

For clarity, in this book:

• Polite language = the two forms desu and masu
• A sentence ending in desu or masu = polite speech
• A sentence not ending in desu/masu = plain speech

Compare:

1a. わたしは男だ

watashi wa otoko da – (plain speech)

1b. わたしは男です

watashi wa otoko desu – (polite speech)

2a. わたしは走る

watashi wa hashiru – (plain speech)

2b. わたしは走ります

watashi wa hashirimasu – (polite speech)

• In (1a), the plain copula da is used.
• In (1b), it’s replaced by the polite copula desu.
• In (2a), the plain verb hashiru is used.
• In (2b), it’s replaced by the polite verb hashirimasu.

The plain form of a verb is also called the dictionary form – it’s the neutral form you look up in a dictionary.

Plain vs Polite: Forms and Speech

We need to keep a few terms straight:

• plain/polite form
• plain/polite language
• plain/polite speech
• speech level

Word Level (Forms)

At the word level:

• The copula da
• Or a verb in the plain form (ending in the vowel u)

→ are in the plain form and count as plain language.

At the same level:

• The copula desu
• Or a verb in the masu form

→ are in the polite form and count as polite language.

We can summarise this like so:

Sentence Level (Speech)

At the sentence level:

• If the main copula is da, or
• the main predicate is a verb in the plain form,

→ the sentence is plain speech.

• If the main copula is desu, or
• the main predicate is a verb in the polite (masu) form,

→ the sentence is polite speech.

When we talk about speech level, we’re talking about whether the sentence is plain or polite.

From here on, whenever we talk about polite language in this book, we’ll be looking at:

• what desu/masu do expressively,
• how they change speech level, and
• how that horizontal distance gets interpreted in real-life Japanese.

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