Business Japanese – The Usage of Honorific Prefixes “お” and “ご”
Table of Contents
1. The Usage of Honorific Prefixes “お” and “ご”
2. Wago and Kango
3. The Usage of “お” and “ご”
4. The Role of “お” and “ご”
5. Fixed Expressions Using “お” and “ご”
6. Summary
7. Quiz
8. Similar Articles
9. Comment
Q: Could you explain the rules for distinguishing between the honorific prefixes “お” and “ご”?
A: “お” and “ご” are used differently depending on whether the word is Wago (native Japanese) or Kango (Sino-Japanese). Let’s go over the rules for each in this article.
Wago and Kango
In Japanese, there are two types of words: Wago (native Japanese words) and Kango (Sino-Japanese words).
Wago consists of words that follow kun-yomi (Japanese readings assigned to kanji based on their meanings in Japanese).
Kango consists of words that follow on-yomi (Chinese readings of kanji based on their original pronunciation in Chinese).
[Basic Ways to Distinguish Wago and Kango]
Wago (Native Japanese Words)
・Often use kun-yomi (Example: 話 (story), 手紙 (letter))
・Common in daily actions and natural expressions (Example: 走る (to run), 食べる (to eat), 青い (blue))
Kango (Words of Chinese Origin)
・Often use on-yomi (Example: 説明 (explanation), 意見 (opinion))
・They often consist of compound words with two or more kanji characters (Example: 出席 (attendance), 勉強 (study), 記入 (entry)).
The Usage of “お” and “ご”
Basically, “お” is attached to Wago (native Japanese words), while “ご” is attached to Kango (Sino-Japanese words).
Additionally, “お” and “ご” are not used with natural phenomena, animals, plants, or public objects, so caution is needed.
Wago (Uses “お”)
[Examples] 話 (story), 車 (car), 手紙 (letter), 知らせ (notice), 金 (money), 断り (refusal), 名前 (name), 仕事(work), etc.
Kango (Uses “ご”)
[Examples] 説明 (explanation), 注意 (caution), 案内 (guidance), 意見 (opinion), 質問 (question), 出席(attendance), 記入 (entry), etc.
Although the following words are Kango, they take “お” instead of “ご”.
[Examples]: 電話 (telephone), 料理 (cooking), 勉強 (study), 洗濯 (laundry), 散歩 (walk), etc.
The Role of “お” and “ご”
“お” and “ご” can be attached to nouns, adjectives, and verbs.
い-adjectives take “お”, while な-adjectives take either “お” or “ご”.
However, not all words take “お” or “ご”, as there are fixed expressions and exceptions. Therefore, learning their actual usage is important.
Additionally, “お” is often used as a respectful (sonkeigo) expression, while “ご” is commonly used as a humble (kenjougo) expression.
However, this distinction is not always absolute and may vary depending on the situation.
[Respectful & Polite Expressions]
[Examples]
お名前は？
What is your name?
そちらへお伺いしてもよろしでしょうか。
May I come to see you?
社長はお優しい方です。
The president is a kind person.
お元気ですか。
How are you?
[Humble & Polite Expressions]
[Examples]
ご連絡お待ちしております。
We are looking forward to your contact.
わたくしがご案内いたします。
I will show you the way.
ご親切にどうも。
Thank you for your kindness.
Fixed Expressions Using “お” and “ご”
When using “お” and “ご”, there are fixed expressions that follow specific patterns.
[Respectful Expressions]
お/ご＋Verb stem＋になります
お/ご＋Verb stem＋です
お/ご＋Verb stem＋ください etc
[Examples]
社長がお帰りになります。
The president is leaving.
お客様がお待ちです。
The customer is waiting.
どうぞお入りください。
Please come in.
[Humble Expressions]
お/ご＋Verb stem＋します/たいします/いたしましょうか
お/ご＋Verb stem＋申し上げます etc
[Examples]
わたくしがご案内いたします。
I will show you the way.
こちらからご連絡いたしましょうか。
Shall we contact you from our side?
お願い申し上げます。
I sincerely ask for your favor.
ご説明申し上げます。
I will provide an explanation.
Summary
- “お” is generally attached to Wago (native Japanese words), while “ご” is attached to Kango (Sino-Japanese words). However, they are not used with natural phenomena, animals, plants, or public objects, so caution is needed.
- They can be used with nouns, adjectives, and verbs, but not all words can take them.
- “お” is often used as a respectful (sonkeigo) expression, while “ご” is often used as a humble (kenjougo) expression. However, this distinction does not always apply.
- There are fixed expressions when using “お” and “ご.”
Quiz
Which should be used in the following sentences, “お” or “ご”?
Click on the question to check the answer.
A. お
お母様はお元気ですか。
Is your mother doing well?
*When asking about the other person, “お元気ですか” is used.
A. お
今後ともよろしくお願い申し上げます。
I sincerely ask for your continued support.
*Since “願う” (to wish/request) is a Wago (native Japanese word), “お” is used.
A. お/ご
こちらにお名前をご記入ください。
Please write your name here.
*Since “名前” (name) is a Wago, “お” is used, while “記入” (entry) is a Kango, so “ご” is used.
A. お
わたくしから（お・ご）電話いたします。
I will call you.
*Although “電話” (telephone) is a Kango, it is an exception and takes “お” instead of “ご”.
