Keigo isn’t just a fancy extra for Japanese-it’s the social wiring that keeps conversations smooth and respectful. If you’ve ever frozen up wondering whether to say いらっしゃいます or just 来ます, you’re in good company. This list hands you around 56 key honorific words and expressions that pop up in real life, from formal business settings to polite everyday chats.
Each entry gives you a straightforward meaning and a natural example sentence, so you can see exactly how the expression behaves in context. We’ve skipped the dusty textbook fillers and focused on the nitty‑gritty keigo you’ll actually use-whether you’re greeting a client, thanking your senpai, or just trying not to sound like a walking dictionary.
Ready to level up your polite Japanese? Scroll to the bottom of the article for the free printable Japanese keigo vocabulary list PDF and the free downloadable printable Japanese keigo flashcards.
Want more than one list? Browse our Japanese section for more Yak Yacker study pages, printable lists, and quiz-friendly review material.
Quick Quiz
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Browse the Full List
| Expression | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 〜いただけますか | Could you please…? | Could you please…? |
| 〜させていただきます | Very polite “I will do” | Very polite “I will do” |
| 〜ております | Humble ongoing action | Humble ongoing action |
| At a shop | Irasshaimase. Go-chūmon wa okimari desu ka. | |
| At work | Shiryō o haiken shimashita. Shūsei itashimasu. | |
| Formal Idea | Common Variant | |
| Humble language | kenjōgo | |
| Leaving early | Osaki ni shitsurei shimasu. | |
| On the phone | Yamada to mōshimasu. Satō-sama wa irasshaimasu ka. | |
| Polite language | teineigo | |
| Replying politely | Hai, kochira o onegaishimasu. | |
| Respectful language | sonkeigo | |
| Situation | Japanese | |
| ありがとうございます | arigatō gozaimasu | arigatō gozaimasu |
| いただきます | itadakimasu | itadakimasu |
| いつもお世話になっております | itsumo o-sewa ni natte orimasu | itsumo o-sewa ni natte orimasu |
| いらっしゃいませ | irasshaimase | irasshaimase |
| お + Verb Stem + ください | Please do the action politely | |
| お + Verb Stem + します | Polite humble action | |
| お世話になります | o-sewa ni narimasu | o-sewa ni narimasu |
| お待たせしました | o-matase shimashita | o-matase shimashita |
| お手数をおかけします | o-tesū o okake shimasu | o-tesū o okake shimasu |
| お願いします | onegaishimasu | onegaishimasu |
| かしこまりました | kashikomarimashita | kashikomarimashita |
| ください | kudasai | kudasai |
Free Japanese Keigo Vocabulary List and Flashcards to Download
Use the purple vocab-list button to grab the Japanese keigo vocabulary list, and the teal flashcards button to download the Japanese keigo flashcards. Everything is 100% free with no signup required.
