Keigo requires memorization. There is no way to avoid learning specific irregular verbs. However, simply memorizing a list is not enough to survive in a professional environment. If you don’t understand the underlying logic of how to apply those words, you will never truly master them. In this article, I will explain the logic for using Sonkeigo and Kenjougo correctly so you can stop relying on pure memorization.
Core
Sonkeigo:Raising the other person
Kenjougo:Lowering yourself
Analysis
Sonkeigo
Target: The other person’s action (Client, Boss, etc.).
Logic: You are placing the other person on a higher stage. By raising their action, you show respect for their status.
Rule: If the Subject of the verb is the other person → Use Sonkeigo.
Kenjougo
Target: Your own action (or your team’s).
Logic: You are intentionally stepping down. By lowering your own position, you create a relative gap that makes the other person appear higher.
Rule: If the Subject of the verb is Me or Us → Use Kenjougo.
Case Study
Example 1
- Japanese: 「資料をご覧になりますか？」
- Explanation: The subject is the client (other person). Since you are referring to their action, you must use the “Raising” logic (Sonkeigo).
Example 2
- Japanese: 「資料を拝見しました。」
- Explanation: The subject is Me. By using the Lowering logic (Kenjougo), you show respect to the person you are talking to by decreasing your own status.
Quiz
Are the following sentences correct (O) or wrong (X)?
- To your Boss: 「部長、この資料を拝見してください。」 (Meaning: Manager, please look at this document.)
- To a Client: 「私が申し上げました。」 (Meaning: I said that.)
- To a Client: 「明日、弊社に参りますか？」 (Meaning: Will you come to our office tomorrow?)
※The answer is below the summary.
Summary
| Category | Target (Subject) | Logic | Mental Image |
| Sonkeigo | Other Person | Raising the action | Placing them on a pedestal |
| Kenjougo | Me / Us | Lowering the action | Stepping down to create a gap |
Answers
- X (Wrong): The subject is the Boss. You should not use Kenjougo (Haiken suru) for someone else’s action. Use Sonkeigo (Goran ni naru).
- O (Correct): The subject is “I.” Using Kenjougo (Moushiageru) correctly lowers your own status.
- X (Wrong): The subject is the Client. Mairu is Kenjougo (Lowering). You cannot tell a client to lower themselves. Use Sonkeigo (Irassharu).
Free · 24 pages · PDF
The JLPT N2 Grammar Handbook
You have just worked through one grammar point. Section 7 will ask you to separate it from three others, under time pressure. This handbook shows how those questions are built — the five question types — and gives you 12 of them to try, with every option explained, including the wrong ones.
The twelve questions were written for this booklet and appear nowhere else. Free — leave the price field at zero. Email address only, unsubscribe any time.
Send Me the Handbook →Found this useful? Passing it on to other learners — a study group, a community, a colleague — is what keeps this site going. logical-japanese.tech
コメント