Can I use Kenjougo for actions performed by my colleagues or family members (my "in-group")?

Yes! Kenjougo is used for the actions of your "in-group" (your own company, family, or team) when you are speaking to an "out-group" member (a client, a customer, someone from another company). This is to humbly present your entire group to the superior outsider. Example: 明日の会議には田中がうかがいます。 (Ashita no kaigi ni wa Tanaka ga ukagaimasu.) - "(My colleague) Tanaka will be attending tomorrow’s meeting." (Said to a client or superior)

Is いただく (itadaku) always a humble verb, even when I say いただきます before a meal?

いただく is indeed the humble verb for 食べる (to eat) and 飲む (to drink), as well as もらう (to receive). So, when you say お客様きゃくさまから資料しりょうをいただきました (I humbly received documents from the client), it's true Kenjougo. However, when you say いただきます before a meal, it's considered a fixed, polite greeting that expresses gratitude for the food and the effort put into it. While its origin is humble, in this specific context, it functions as a common phrase for starting a meal, not necessarily as a full Kenjougo sentence applied to your act of eating.

kenjougo (謙譲語): Extra-Modest Expressions for Speaking About Yourself in Japanese

contents

Introduction
1. What Is Kenjougo?
2. Core Extra-Modest Verb Replacements
3. Conjugation Quick-Guide
4. Example Sentences
5. Practice Drill
6. Common Mistakes
7. FAQ
Conclusion
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Introduction

When you need to lower yourself—at a job interview, greeting a client, or talking to a professor—plain polite Japanese isn’t quite polite enough. That’s where kenjougo (humble language, 謙譲語けんじょうご), the extra-modest form, comes in. Instead of raising the other person (honorific speech), you push yourself down to show respect. Let’s learn the key verbs and how to use them naturally.

1. What Is Kenjougo?

Kenjougo changes ordinary verbs into special “humble” versions used only for your own actions (or your inner circle when talking to outsiders). It signals:

Humility: “I’m below you in status for this interaction.”
Formality: Common in business, service, and official situations.

Example: わたしはスミスと申もうします（△ いいます）。My name is Smith. [meeting with a client]

Never use kenjougo for the listener’s actions—that requires honorific verbs instead.

Honorific expressions and extra-modest expressions both serve the same purpose: showing respect to people of higher status than you. However, they achieve this by different means.

A diagram comparing honorific expressions (sonkeigo), which raise the listener's status, with extra-modest expressions (kenjougo), which lower the speaker's status to show respect. — Kenjougo vs. Sonkeigo: Two Ways to Show Respect in Japanese
Kenjougo (extra-modest expressions) lowers yourself to elevate others. Sonkeigo (honorific expressions) directly lifts the person you are speaking about.

Honorific expressions directly raise the position of the person.
Extra-modest expressions lower yourself, hence raising the relative position of the other person.

2. Core Extra-Modest Verb Replacements

Plain	Meaning	Extra-modest verb	Polite form
言いう	to say	申もうす	申します
行いく / 来くる	to go / come	参まいる	参ります
いる	to be (animate)	おる	おります
する	to do	いたす	いたします
食たべる / 飲のむ / もらう	to eat / drink / receive	いただく	いただきます
知しっている	to think	存ぞんじる	存じます
あげる	to give	差さし上あげる	差し上げます
聞きく / 訪たずねる (行く)	to ask / visit	伺うかがう	伺います
見みる	to see, to watch	拝見はいけんする	拝見します
ある	there is…	ござる	ございます
～ています	Ongoing action / result	～ておる	～ております
～です	I am…	～でござる	～でございます

3. Conjugation Quick-Guide

Most extra-modest verbs behave like regular う or る verbs once you learn the special stem.

Verb	Present polite	Negative polite	Past polite
申もうす	申します	申しません	申しました
参まいる	参ります	参りません	参りました
おる	おります	おりません	おりました
いたす	いたします	いたしません	いたしました
いただく	いただきます	いただきません	いただきました

Tip: Spoken casual kenjougo (参る, 申す) is rare—stick to ～ます forms.

4. Example Sentences

田中たなかと申もうします。よろしくお願ねがいいたします。
My name is Tanaka. Nice to meet you.
ただ今いま参まいりますので、少々しょうしょうお待まちください。
I’m coming right now; please wait a moment.
私わたしは大阪おおさかにおります。
I’m (currently) in Osaka.
本日ほんじつの資料しりょうをお送おくりいたしました。ご確認かくにんください。
I have sent today’s materials. Please check them.
このプロジェクトについては存ぞんじません。
I’m not aware of this project.

5. Practice Drill

Convert the plain statements into kenjougo (polite).

Plain cue	Extra-modest answer
今いま、行いきます。	今、参ります。
私わたしは東京とうきょうにいます。	私は東京におります。
すぐにその仕事しごとをします。	すぐにその仕事をいたします。
先生せんせいに聞ききます。	先生せんせいに伺うかがいます。
昼ひるご飯はんを食たべました。	昼ご飯をいただきました。

Challenge: Humble these yourself:

アメリカから来ました。
この本をあげます。
彼の名前を知っています。

6. Common Mistakes

❌ Wrong	Why it’s wrong	✅ Fix
先生は申しましたか。	申す is only for your speech, not the president’s.	先生はおっしゃいましたか。
私がおっしゃいます。	Honorific verb for yourself – incorrect.	私が申します。

7. FAQ

Q What’s the fundamental difference between Kenjougo (謙譲語) and Sonkeigo (尊敬語)?

The core difference lies in who you are showing respect to and how:

Sonkeigo (尊敬語 – Honorific Language): Raises the status of the person you are talking about (the superior) by using special verbs for their actions (e.g., いらっしゃる for 行く/来る/いる). You never use Sonkeigo for yourself.
Kenjougo (謙譲語 – Humble Language): Lowers your own (or your in-group’s) status by using special verbs for your actions, thereby showing respect to the listener or the person you are interacting with (e.g., 参る for 行く/来る).

Q When should I use Kenjougo instead of just polite 〜ます form?

While the 〜ます form is polite, Kenjougo expresses an extra layer of humility and formality. You should use Kenjougo when:

Speaking to someone of significantly higher status: Your boss, professor, client, a distinguished guest, someone much older.
In very formal situations: Business meetings, job interviews, formal presentations, official correspondence, customer service.
Presenting yourself or your company in a humble way: It shows respect for the other party. For casual conversations with peers or juniors, 〜ます form is sufficient.

Q Can I use Kenjougo for actions performed by my colleagues or family members (my “in-group”)?: A
Yes! Kenjougo is used for the actions of your “in-group” (your own company, family, or team) when you are speaking to an “out-group” member (a client, a customer, someone from another company). This is to humbly present your entire group to the superior outsider.
Example: 明日の会議には田中がうかがいます。 (Ashita no kaigi ni wa Tanaka ga ukagaimasu.) – “(My colleague) Tanaka will be attending tomorrow’s meeting.” (Said to a client or superior)

Q Is いただく (itadaku) always a humble verb, even when I say いただきます before a meal?: A
いただく is indeed the humble verb for 食べる (to eat) and 飲む (to drink), as well as もらう (to receive). So, when you say お客様きゃくさまから資料しりょうをいただきました (I humbly received documents from the client), it’s true Kenjougo. However, when you say いただきます before a meal, it’s considered a fixed, polite greeting that expresses gratitude for the food and the effort put into it. While its origin is humble, in this specific context, it functions as a common phrase for starting a meal, not necessarily as a full Kenjougo sentence applied to your act of eating.

Conclusion

You can now:

✅ Recognize and use the core extra-modest verbs (申す, 参る, おる, いたす, etc.)
✅ Conjugate them for tense and negativity
✅ Avoid mixing up honorific and humble speech

Practice by rewriting three introductions or schedule updates in kenjougo. A little humility goes a long way in Japanese business and formal settings!

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