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丁重語 details

Examples

courteous speech — the formal version of an everyday verb, used about yourself where there is nobody in particular to defer to

それでは、わたしさきまいります。

soredewa, watashi ga saki ni mairimasu.

In that case, I will go on ahead. formal

ははいまかけております。

haha wa ima, dekakete orimasu.

My mother is out at the moment. formal

はじめまして、田中たなかもうします。

hajimemashite, tanaka to moushimasu.

How do you do — my name is Tanaka. formal

そのけんについては、まだなにぞんじておりません。

sono ken ni tsuite wa, mada nani mo zonjite orimasen.

I don't know anything about that matter yet. formal

Formation

Notes

ございます belongs to a third register, 丁寧語ていねいご: it polishes
です・あります for the listener (二階にかいでございます) and says nothing
about whose action it is.

Related patterns

Similar

  • 丁重語 raises nobody inside the sentence — it lifts the tone toward whoever is listening — while 尊敬語 raises a person named in it; so まいります needs no esteemed destination and stands equally in えきまいります and 田舎いなかまいります.

Lookalikes

  • もうげる and もうす differ by more than length — 謙譲語 needs someone the action reaches and lowers you toward them (先生せんせいもうげる), while 丁重語 has no such person and merely dresses the act for the listener (わたし田中たなかもうします).

Combines with

  • いたす is what する becomes when the humble wrap goes up a notch — おとどけいたします; the wrap stays お〜, so this register is a swap inside it rather than a frame of its own.