Welcome to Level 2, Lesson 6!
As you delve deeper into N4 Japanese grammar with gokigen japanese blog, Lesson 6 introduces you to a fundamental aspect of Japanese communication: honorifics (尊敬語, sonkeigo). Mastering these expressions is crucial for showing proper respect in social interactions, especially towards superiors or elders. This lesson also covers useful patterns for emphasizing specific information in your sentences.
The main goals of this lesson are to enable you to use honorific expressions towards others according to social hierarchy and to express emphasis on certain information.
Key grammar patterns and expressions you will master in this lesson include:
- Special Honorific Verbs (特別な尊敬動詞): Learn a set of unique verbs that are inherently honorific and used when referring to actions of a respected person (e.g., 召し上がる (meshiagaru) – honorific for “to eat/drink,” ごらんになる (goran ni naru) – honorific for “to see,” おっしゃる (ossharu) – honorific for “to say”).
- General Honorific Form (お + V(stem) + になる): Discover how to transform most other verbs into their honorific form by adding お (o) before the verb stem and になる (ni naru) after it (e.g., 社長はお話しになります – The company president speaks (honorific)).
- Honorific Expressions for Ongoing Actions (V-て + いらっしゃいます): Learn the honorific equivalent of 〜ている (te iru), used to describe ongoing actions or states of a respected person (e.g., 先生は本を読んでいらっしゃいます – The teacher is reading a book (honorific)).
- Respectful Requests / Advice (お/ご + V(stem) + ください): Learn a polite and respectful way to ask a superior to do something, or to give them advice (e.g., こちらにお座りください – Please sit here (honorific)).
- Emphasizing Information (~のが Adj/N です): Learn how to use the pattern V(short) のが Adj/N です (no ga Adj/N desu) to turn a verb phrase into a noun clause, allowing you to emphasize or comment on it (e.g., 日本語を勉強するのがとても楽しいです – It’s very fun to study Japanese).
- Stating Purpose / Use (N は V(short) のに使う): Master how to clearly state the purpose or use of a noun using N は V(short) のに使う (N wa V(short) no ni tsukau), meaning “N is used for ~ing” (e.g., この部屋は会議をするのに使います – This room is used for holding meetings).
By the end of Lesson 6, Level 2, you’ll be able to demonstrate appropriate respect using basic honorifics, make polite requests, and effectively emphasize specific details or purposes in your Japanese sentences. These patterns are fundamental for navigating Japanese social dynamics and expressing yourself with greater precision!
Explore the articles linked below to master Japanese honorifics and expressions for emphasis!
