Honorifics & Pragmatics
Three honorific systems (respectful/humble/polite), gendered language, written vs spoken, ambiguous expressions
6 topics
Respectful Language (尊敬語)
Elevates the status of the listener or third party. Uses special verb forms: いらっしゃる(来ている/行く/来る)、おっしゃる(言う)、なさる(する)、召し上がる(食べる/飲む)
Humble Language (謙譲語)
Lowers the speaker's status to show respect to the listener. Uses special forms: 参る(行く/来る)、申す(言う)、いたす(する)、いただく(もらう)、拝見する(見る)
Polite Language (丁寧語)
Adds politeness marker です/ます to show respect to the listener. Does not elevate or lower anyone's status. Base level of formal Japanese.
Gendered Language (男女用語)
Japanese has gender-associated speech patterns. Male: 俺僕、〜だぜ〜だぞ。Female: 私あたし、〜わよ〜かしら。Modern Japanese shows less gender distinction.
Written vs Spoken (文語と口語)
Japanese has distinct written (文語) and spoken (口語) styles. Written: である調、漢語多、文法形式厳格。Spoken: だ/です調、和語多、省略・倒置多
Ambiguous Expression (曖昧表現)
Japanese often uses indirect/ambiguous expressions to maintain harmony and avoid direct confrontation. Includes hedging, omission, and softening language.