The most frustrating part of learning keigo is that the same action can be expressed three different ways — plain form, honorific (sonkeigo), and humble (kenjougo). For example, when describing your boss's action of speaking, you use おっしゃる, but when describing your own, you use 申す.
This article organizes the 15 most common keigo verb pairs into a single reference table to help you study them systematically.
What Are Sonkeigo and Kenjougo?
Before looking at the table, let's confirm the basics:
- 尊敬語 (sonkeigo): Elevates the other person's actions — "you say (おっしゃる)", "you eat (召し上がる)"
- 謙譲語 (kenjougo): Lowers your own actions — "I say (申す)", "I eat (いただく)"
Simple rule: Sonkeigo raises others, kenjougo lowers yourself.
The 15 Core Keigo Verb Pairs
| Plain Form | Sonkeigo (their action) | Kenjougo (your action) |
|---|---|---|
| 言う (to say) | おっしゃる | 申す (もうす) |
| 食べる (to eat) | 召し上がる (めしあがる) | いただく |
| 飲む (to drink) | 召し上がる | いただく |
| 行く (to go) | いらっしゃる | 参る (まいる) / 伺う (うかがう) |
| 来る (to come) | いらっしゃる / お見えになる | 参る |
| いる (to be) | いらっしゃる | おる |
| する (to do) | なさる | いたす |
| 見る (to see) | ご覧になる (ごらんになる) | 拝見する (はいけんする) |
| 知る (to know) | ご存じ (ごぞんじ) | 存じる (ぞんじる) |
| 聞く (to hear/ask) | お聞きになる | 伺う / 承る (うけたまわる) |
| 読む (to read) | お読みになる | 拝読する (はいどくする) |
| もらう (to receive) | お受け取りになる | いただく / 頂戴する (ちょうだいする) |
| 会う (to meet) | お会いになる | お目にかかる |
| くれる (to give me) | くださる | — |
| あげる (to give) | — | 差し上げる (さしあげる) |
Note: 食べる and 飲む share the same keigo forms — 召し上がる (sonkeigo) and いただく (kenjougo).
いらっしゃる: One Word, Three Meanings
いらっしゃる is probably the sonkeigo verb you'll encounter most often, because it corresponds to three different plain forms:
| Plain Form | Meaning of いらっしゃる |
|---|---|
| 行く | (they) go |
| 来る | (they) come |
| いる | (they) are present |
You need to rely on context to determine which meaning applies.
先生はもう帰りましたか。——いいえ、まだいらっしゃいます。 → Has the teacher gone home already? — No, they're still here. (meaning of いる)
社長は明日いらっしゃいますか。 → Will the president come tomorrow? (meaning of 来る)
Memory Tip
Think of いらっしゃる as the "universal verb for the other person's existence and movement" — whenever they "are somewhere," "come," or "go," you can use it.
Watch Out for Irregular Conjugations
おっしゃる, いらっしゃる, くださる, and なさる — these four sonkeigo verbs conjugate irregularly. Their ます-form doesn't follow the expected る → ります pattern. Instead, they become います:
| Dictionary Form | ます-form (correct) | ます-form (common mistake) |
|---|---|---|
| おっしゃる | おっしゃいます | |
| いらっしゃる | いらっしゃいます | |
| くださる | くださいます | |
| なさる | なさいます |
These four are known as the "special sonkeigo verbs." They all end in 〜る but have a unique conjugation pattern.
Common Learner Mistakes
Mistake 1: Using Sonkeigo for Yourself
私がおっしゃったのは～❌ 私が申したのは～ ✅
Sonkeigo describes the other person's actions. For your own actions, use kenjougo.
Mistake 2: Using Kenjougo for a Superior
先生が申しました❌ 先生がおっしゃいました ✅
Kenjougo lowers the speaker. You cannot use it for someone you should be elevating.
Mistake 3: Confusing the Two Meanings of 伺う
伺う can be the kenjougo of both 行く (to visit) and 聞く (to ask/inquire):
明日、オフィスに伺います。 → I will visit the office tomorrow. 一つ伺いたいのですが。 → I'd like to ask you something.
Summary
- Keigo verbs come in three sets: plain, sonkeigo (elevates others), and kenjougo (lowers yourself)
- いらっしゃる covers the sonkeigo of three verbs: 行く, 来る, and いる
- おっしゃる, いらっしゃる, くださる, なさる have irregular ます-forms (〜います)
- 食べる/飲む share the same keigo pair: 召し上がる / いただく
- The most common mistakes are using sonkeigo for yourself and kenjougo for superiors
Practice Quiz
Q1. You want to ask a client to "please look at this document." Which verb should you use?
Show Answer
こちらの資料をご覧ください。
The sonkeigo of 見る is ご覧になる, and the request form is ご覧ください. Using 見てください would be too casual in this context.
Q2. You want to tell your boss "I know (about it)." How should you say it?
Show Answer
存じております。
The kenjougo of 知る is 存じる, and to express the ongoing state of knowing, use 存じております. Do not say ご存じております — ご存じ is sonkeigo and cannot be used for yourself.
Q3. Which three plain-form verbs does いらっしゃる correspond to?
Show Answer
行く (to go), 来る (to come), and いる (to be present).
All three share いらっしゃる as their sonkeigo form. You determine the specific meaning from context.