# Keigo: Japanese Honorific Speech

> Learn keigo (敬語): polite teineigo, respectful sonkeigo and humble kenjōgo.

Canonical: https://inkujapanese.com/japanese/keigo
Last updated: 2026-04-21

The polite, humble, and respectful registers that change Japanese sentences depending on who is speaking to whom.

[Bao H.](https://inkujapanese.com/authors/bao-hua)Updated April 21, 20268 min read

## Short answer

Keigo (敬語) is the system of Japanese honorifics that changes sentence structure based on social hierarchy and formality. It has three primary registers: teineigo (polite), sonkeigo (respectful), and kenjōgo (humble).

Registers

Casual + 3 keigo (teineigo, sonkeigo, kenjōgo)

Safe default

Teineigo (-desu/-masu)

When to learn

Teineigo from day 1, keigo after month 9

Most exposure

Customer service, business calls

## What keigo is

Keigo is not just 'polite Japanese.' It's a structural system: nouns, verbs, and even some pronouns shift form based on who is speaking, who is being spoken about, and the social distance between them. The same English sentence ('I am here') can come out as いる, います, おります, depending on register.

There are three primary keigo registers. Teineigo (-desu/-masu) is the polite default safe in almost every situation. Sonkeigo elevates the listener or subject ('they came' = いらっしゃった). Kenjōgo lowers the speaker ('I came' = まいりました). Most adult learners need passive recognition of all three; production starts with teineigo and grows from there.

## When to use which register

Casual (タメ口): close friends and family. Drop -desu/-masu, use plain forms.

Teineigo: strangers, classmates, anyone you're meeting for the first time, customer service. The safe default.

Sonkeigo: speaking about someone above you (boss, elder, customer) or addressing them directly with elevated language.

Kenjōgo: speaking about yourself or your in-group when the listener is above you (business calls, formal interviews, traditional service).

## How to learn it

Start with teineigo. It is the form Japanese textbooks teach in the first three months and the form you'll use in 80% of real interactions.

Add sonkeigo and kenjōgo around month 9-12, when you have enough vocabulary that the keigo verb substitutions don't overwhelm you. Service-industry phrasebooks (the ones aimed at Japanese workers) are surprisingly good at teaching the patterns in context.

Watch service interactions in Japanese at convenience stores, hotels, and train stations. The scripts are tightly keigo-loaded and you'll hear the same constructions hundreds of times.

## Related reading

- [Japanese grammar overview](https://inkujapanese.com/japanese/grammar)

- [Full learning roadmap](https://inkujapanese.com/guides/how-to-learn-japanese)

## Common questions

### Do I need to learn keigo to live in Japan?

Recognition, yes. Production, only at the level your job requires. Tourists and casual residents survive on teineigo. Office workers need sonkeigo and kenjōgo for client interactions. Restaurant workers and hotel staff use them constantly.

### Is keigo dying out in modern Japanese?

It's narrowing, especially among younger speakers in casual contexts. But it remains essential in business, formal service, and traditional settings. Knowing keigo passively is non-negotiable for working in a Japanese company.

### How do natives feel about foreigners using keigo?

Generally appreciative. Mistakes are forgiven. Most natives are pleased that a foreigner tried at all and will not punish errors the way a native peer might.