Can I use V-ていらっしゃいます for continuous states, like "is living" or "is married"?

Yes, absolutely! Just like the plain V-ています form, V-ていらっしゃいます can express both ongoing actions and continuous states. Example: 先生は結婚していらっしゃいますか。 (Sensei wa kekkon shite irasshaimasu ka?) - "Is the teacher married?"

Can I use V-ていらっしゃいます to talk about myself or my family?

No, you must not . This is a critical rule for all honorifics (Sonkeigo). V-ていらっしゃいます is used only for the actions of someone you are honoring (your superior, client, teacher, etc.). When talking about your own or your in-group's (e.g., family members, colleagues from your own company) actions, you should use plain polite forms or, more appropriately, humble language (謙譲語 - Kenjōgo).

V-te irasshaimasu (ていらっしゃいます): Beginner Guide to Honorific “-ing” in Japanese

Q: Can I use V-て いらっしゃいます for continuous states, like "is living" or "is married"?

Yes, absolutely! Just like the plain V-ています form, V-て いらっしゃいます can express both ongoing actions and continuous states. Example: 先生は結婚していらっしゃいますか。 (Sensei wa kekkon shite irasshaimasu ka?) - "Is the teacher married?"

Q: What's the main difference between V-て いらっしゃいます and V-て おられます?

Both V-て いらっしゃいます and V-て おられます function as honorific progressive forms meaning "is doing." However, their usage carries different nuances and levels of acceptance among Japanese speakers. V-て いらっしゃいます: This is the standard and universally accepted honorific progressive form in modern polite Japanese. It is always safe and natural to use in any formal or polite context . V-て おられます: While grammatically defensible and commonly heard, especially in Western Japan (Kansai dialect) where おる is used more widely as a general verb, its use as an honorific can be contentious. According to a survey by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs , over 30% of respondents said that “oraremasu” is often used incorrectly.

contents

Video
Introduction
1. Structure & Meaning
2. How to Form It
- Negative & Past (handy to recognise)
3. Example Sentences
4. Practice Time!
5. Common Mistakes
6. FAQ
Conclusion
- Want to improve your Japanese with real conversations?
Author

Video

Let’s watch this short video for a quick overview.

V-te irasshaimasu (ていらっしゃいます): Beginner Guide to Honorific “-ing” in Japanese
Source: gokigen japanese official YouTube Channel

Introduction

Need to say “Professor Tanaka is reading” or “The CEO is on the phone” politely?
Use the honorific progressive form V-ていらっしゃいます. This pattern upgrades the regular V-ています (“is doing”) into respectful speech for someone above you. Let’s learn how it works!

1. Structure & Meaning

Pattern: verb-て + いらっしゃいます
Meaning: “[respected person] is/are …-ing”

Plain (neutral)	Honorific	Translation
読よんでいます	読んでいらっしゃいます	is reading
電話でんわしています	電話していらっしゃいます	is calling
住すんでいます	住んでいらっしゃいます	lives (is living)

Remember that V-ている can mean both an ongoing action (‘is reading’) and a continuous state (‘is living’). V-ていらっしゃいます applies to both.

Think of いらっしゃいます as the honorific replacement for います in progressive sentences.

2. How to Form It

Put the verb in its -て form.
Replace います with いらっしゃいます.
Conjugate いらっしゃいます only when you need negative or past (rare in practice).

Base	te-form	+ いらっしゃいます
読よむ (to read)	読んで	読んでいらっしゃいます (is reading)
寝ねる (to sleep)	寝て	寝ていらっしゃいます (is sleeping)
勉強べんきょうする (to study)	勉強して	勉強していらっしゃいます (is studying)

Negative & Past (handy to recognise)

Negative: 読んで いらっしゃいません (is not reading)
Past: 読んで いらっしゃいました (was reading)

3. Example Sentences

社長しゃちょうは今いま電話でんわしていらっしゃいます。
The president is on the phone right now.
山下先生やましたせんせい、おひさしぶりです。まだ英語えいごを教おしえていらっしゃいますか。
Hello, Professor Yamashita. It’s been a while. Are you still teaching English?
三年前さんねんまえ、社長しゃちょうは京都きょうとに住すんでいらっしゃいました。
Three years ago, our CEO was living in Kyoto.
先生せんせいは夕食ゆうしょくを召めし上あがっていらっしゃいます。
The teacher is eating dinner.
社長しゃちょうのお子こさんは今いま、働はたらいていらっしゃいません。
The CEO’s child is currently not working/employed.

4. Practice Time!

Change each plain progressive into V-ていらっしゃいます.

Plain cue	Honorific answer
先生せんせいは話はなしています。	先生は話していらっしゃいます。 The teacher is speaking.
部長ぶちょうは新聞しんぶんを読よんでいます。	部長は新聞を読んでいらっしゃいます。 The manager is reading the newspaper.
先生せんせい、私わたしを覚おぼえていますか。	先生、私を覚えていらっしゃいますか。 Do you remember me, professor?

Challenge: Convert these yourself:
① 先生せんせいはピアノを弾ひいていません。
② 社長しゃちょうは資料しりょうを準備じゅんびしていました。

5. Common Mistakes

Mistake	Why it’s wrong	Fix
△ 社長が話しています。	Uses plain ています—sounds blunt.	✓ 社長が話していらっしゃいます。
× 私は読んでいらっしゃいます。	Never honorify your own action.	✓ 私は読んでいます。

6. FAQ

Q Can I use V-ていらっしゃいます for continuous states, like “is living” or “is married”?: A
Yes, absolutely! Just like the plain V-ています form, V-ていらっしゃいます can express both ongoing actions and continuous states.
Example: 先生は結婚していらっしゃいますか。 (Sensei wa kekkon shite irasshaimasu ka?) – “Is the teacher married?”

Q Is there a simpler, more versatile honorific progressive form I can use if I forget V-ていらっしゃいます?

Yes, a safe and correct fallback is to use the お + verb stem + になっています pattern (the continuous form of お〜になる). While V-ていらっしゃいます is often smoother and more common for basic verbs, お〜になっています is universally applicable.

Example: 先生は本を読んでいらっしゃいます。 (Standard and smooth)
Alternative: 先生は本をお読みになっています。 (Correct and polite)

Q How do I make V-ていらっしゃいます negative or past tense?

You conjugate いらっしゃいます just like a regular ます-form verb:

Negative: 〜ていらっしゃいません (e.g., 読んでいらっしゃいません – isn’t reading)
Past: 〜ていらっしゃいました (e.g., 読んでいらっしゃいました – was reading)
Negative Past: 〜ていらっしゃいませんでした (e.g., 読んでいらっしゃいませんでした – wasn’t reading)

Q Can I use V-ていらっしゃいます to talk about myself or my family?: A
No, you must not. This is a critical rule for all honorifics (Sonkeigo). V-ていらっしゃいます is used only for the actions of someone you are honoring (your superior, client, teacher, etc.). When talking about your own or your in-group’s (e.g., family members, colleagues from your own company) actions, you should use plain polite forms or, more appropriately, humble language (謙譲語 – Kenjōgo).

Q What’s the main difference between V-ていらっしゃいます and V-ておられます?

Both V-ていらっしゃいます and V-ておられます function as honorific progressive forms meaning “is doing.” However, their usage carries different nuances and levels of acceptance among Japanese speakers.

V-ていらっしゃいます: This is the standard and universally accepted honorific progressive form in modern polite Japanese. It is always safe and natural to use in any formal or polite context.
V-ておられます: While grammatically defensible and commonly heard, especially in Western Japan (Kansai dialect) where おる is used more widely as a general verb, its use as an honorific can be contentious. According to a survey by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs, over 30% of respondents said that “oraremasu” is often used incorrectly.

Conclusion

With V-ていらっしゃいます you can:

✅ Turn any ongoing action into an honorific statement
✅ Respectfully describe what superiors are doing right now
✅ Avoid common pitfalls like honorifying yourself

Practice transforming everyday “-ています” sentences, and soon your respectful Japanese will flow naturally!

Want to improve your Japanese with real conversations?

Our native Japanese instructors at gokigen japanese can help you perfect your pronunciation and learn real-life usage.

Whether you’re completely new to Japanese or looking to refine your skills, book a one-on-one session.

Author

Author: gokigen japanese
gokigen japanese is an online Japanese tutoring service launched in 2023. Flexible, interactive, and culture-rich, gokigen japanese supports learners at all levels with bilingual Japanese tutors. Over 1,000 students from 30+ countries have used our 300+ original materials, including grammar guides and cultural content.
gokigen japanese was founded by Hirofumi Naramura, a Kyoto University graduate and former Project Leader at the Boston Consulting Group (2010–2020). The service has received recognition such as the Chiyoda CULTURE x TECH Award 2024 and acceptance into NEXs Tokyo, a startup program by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.