N4 · Unit 12
Lesson 48Describe your own actions humbly
Show respect by lowering your own or your group's actions and distinguish polite, respectful, and humble language.
What you learn
Show respect by lowering your own or your group's actions and distinguish polite, respectful, and humble language.
Learning points
- Humble verbs
- Humble constructions
- Three politeness levels
Why this lesson comes now
This lesson connects what you can already say to a new way of expressing it. Hear the key sentences, understand the structure, then use it in a real situation.
Your next step
Listen to the key sentences, understand the pattern, finish the examples and vocabulary, then continue to the next lesson.
Open the interactive lessonCore pattern
お + 動詞ます語幹 + します / ご + 漢語 + します ・ 伺います / 参ります / 拝見します / いたします / 申します / おります ・ 動詞て + いただけませんか ・ 動詞使役て + いただきます ・ ございます / Nで ございますBeginner explanation
Humble language shows respect by lowering your own action or that of your in-group; your family and your company's seniors also count as in-group when speaking to outsiders. The common patterns are お〜します／ご〜します, with special verbs such as 伺います, 参ります, 拝見します, and いたします. Use 〜ていただけませんか for a polite request and 〜させていただきます to state formally that you will act with permission. ございます／でございます are more formal forms of あります／です.
Understand these sentences first
- お荷物は 私が お持ちします。onimotsu wa watashi ga omochi shimasu
I will carry your luggage.
- 明日、私が そちらへ 伺います。ashita, watashi ga sochira e ukagaimasu
I will visit you there tomorrow.
- 先生に 論文を 見て いただきました。sensei ni ronbun o mite itadakimashita
My teacher kindly reviewed my paper.
- もう 一度 説明させて いただきます。mō ichido setsumei sasete itadakimasu
Allow me to explain once more.
Core vocabulary
- 伺いますうかがいますvisit; ask; humble
- 参りますまいりますgo; come; humble
- 拝見しますはいけんしますsee; humble
- いたしますいたしますdo; humble
- 申しますもうしますsay; be called; humble
- おりますおりますbe; humble
- いただきますいただきますreceive; have someone do
- ございますございますbe; exist; formal
Grammar, one point at a time
Humble language is not simple self-deprecation: distinguish humble I and II
謙譲語I／謙譲語II（丁重語）Humble I lowers an action directed from the speaker's side to the other, thereby respecting its target, as in 伺う and 拝見する. Humble II courteously presents the speaker's own action to the listener, as in 参る and 申す. Neither requires denying one's dignity or value.
Examples
- 明日、先生の 研究室へ 伺います。I will visit the professor's office tomorrow.
- 北京から 参りました。I have come from Beijing.
- 李と 申します。My name is Li.
General humble form: お／ご～します
お + Vます語幹 + します ｜ ご + 漢語名詞 + しますお commonly precedes a native-Japanese verb stem and ご a Sino-Japanese group-3 noun stem. One-mora stems and 来る or する itself cannot be inserted mechanically. The action normally points toward someone to be respected; not every action by the speaker needs a humble form.
Examples
- お荷物は 私が お持ちします。I will carry your luggage.
- 昨日、メールを お送りしました。I sent you an email yesterday.
- 明日の 午後、ご連絡します。I will contact you tomorrow afternoon.
Learn special humble verbs as whole words
見る→拝見する 等見る, 食べる／飲む, 行く／来る, 聞く／訪ねる, する, 言う, あげる, もらう, and 知る have common humble forms. First ask whether the action is directed from the speaker's side to the other, then distinguish humble I from courteous narration.
Examples
- 案内状を 拝見しました。I read the notice.
- コピーは 私が いたします。I will make the copy.
- 黄教授に 見ていただきました。Professor Huang kindly reviewed it for me.
Courteous requests: ～ていただけますか／ませんか
Vて + いただけますか／いただけませんかThis asks whether the speaker can receive the other person's action. The negative question is generally more indirect, but real choice still depends on context, reason, and the ability to decline. Polite grammar does not make an unreasonable request appropriate.
Examples
- 取り替えて いただけますか。Could you exchange it for me?
- 教えて いただけませんか。Could you please tell me?
- 難しければ、お知らせください。Please let me know if that is difficult.
Act with permission and benefit: ～（さ）せていただく
V（さ）せて + いただくThe Agency for Cultural Affairs states two basic conditions: the speaker's side acts with permission from the other side or a third party, and receives a benefit. If no permission or benefit is involved, overuse sounds roundabout; simply say 発表します or ご連絡します.
Examples
- 会議室を 使わせていただきます。I will use the meeting room with your permission.
- 来週、休ませていただけませんか。Could I take leave next week?
- では、結果を 発表します。I will now present the results.
Courteous existence and identification: ございます／でございます
あります→ございます ｜ です→でございますございます is a courteous form of あります, while でございます corresponds to です. They are common in service calls and formal introductions but can sound stiff when overused in ordinary conversation. Location directions must still be accurate.
Examples
- はい、在庫は ございます。Yes, it is in stock.
- JC企画で ございます。This is JC Planning.
- おつりで ございます。Here is your change.
Courteously present one's own side: おります／～ております
います→おります ｜ ～ています→～ておりますThis is humble II or courteous language addressed politely to the listener and need not have a specific action target. It is common when describing one's own company externally and must not be used to elevate the other person.
Examples
- 午後は 社に おります。I will be at the office this afternoon.
- いつも お世話に なっております。Thank you for your continued support.
- 田中は 外出しております。Tanaka is out.
Expressions and situations
Nouns and adjectives can shift with keigo, but お／ご are not mechanical prefixes
Common forms include お食事, お荷物, お手紙, お忙しい, ご利用, ご家族, and お元気. Lexical convention, register, and perspective matter; not every Sino-Japanese word takes ご and not every native word takes お.
- 明日は お忙しいでしょうか。Will you be busy tomorrow?
- ご両親は お元気ですか。Are your parents well?
私, 私ども, 弊社, and 者 are courteous self-side labels, not denial of dignity
私ども denotes our side, 弊社 is one's own company externally, and 社の者 means a person from one's company. Use 御社 or 貴社 for the other company, not 弊社.
- こちらは 私どもの 製品です。This is our product.
- 社の 者が お送りします。A member of our company will send it.
Choose readings of tomorrow and yesterday by register
明日 can be read あした, あす, or みょうにち with increasing formality, while 昨日 can be きのう or さくじつ. The readings differ by register rather than basic meaning.
- 明日、伺います。I will visit tomorrow.
- 昨日、拝見しました。I read it yesterday.
何のお構いもしませんで is a host's modest formula, not a factual finding
It is a modest host formula when seeing a guest off or responding to thanks. A variant is 何のお構いもできませんで. In modern conversation, こちらこそ、ありがとうございました is also natural; the guest need not repeatedly deny the apology.
- 何のお構いも できませんで。I am sorry I could not do more.
- こちらこそ、ありがとうございました。Thank you as well.
右も左も分からない is an idiom for being completely unfamiliar
It does not literally mean confusing right and left. It describes being new to a place or job. In formal self-introduction, state specifically that you are learning procedures and responsibilities rather than over-disparaging yourself.
- まだ 業務の 流れを 学んでいる ところです。I am still learning the workflow.
申し訳ございません is a formal apology; still state facts and remedy
An apology does not replace cause, impact, next action, and timing. Do not endlessly intensify apology when no fault or only light courtesy is involved.
- 申し訳ございません。確認して 本日中に ご連絡します。I am sorry. I will check and contact you today.
New Year's cards remain; かもめ～る is discontinued
Japan Post publishes each year's New Year's-card acceptance and recommended date for New Year's Day delivery, so 25 December is not a timeless rule. かもめ～る has not been issued since fiscal 2021, while summer and late-summer greetings can still use ordinary postal cards, illustrated cards, or other means.
- 年賀状の 受付期間を 確認します。I will check the acceptance period for New Year's cards.
- かもめ～るは 現在 発行されていません。Kamome-mail is no longer issued.
A courteous request should include reason and room to decline
The negative question is more indirect, but it may still pressure someone who cannot decline. Add 難しければ別の方法にします to preserve choice.
- 難しければ、別の 方法に します。If that is difficult, I will use another method.
What you should be able to do
- Classify 12 humble expressions as I or II and explain action target or listener politeness.
- Rewrite business communication with お／ご～します and special forms, removing unnecessary mechanical keigo.
- Add reason, deadline, and room to decline and compare いただけますか／ませんか.
- Test ten ～させていただく examples for permission and benefit, simplifying those that fail.
- Distinguish ございます, でございます, おります, and いらっしゃいます by perspective.
- Create a current seasonal-greeting guide with annual New Year's dates, summer periods, and discontinued かもめ～る.
Culture and real use
Final keigo lesson: make permission, benefit, and current status explicit
The Agency for Cultural Affairs explains that ～させていただく basically requires the speaker's side to act with another person's permission and receive a benefit; repeating it without those conditions only sounds roundabout. Humble language is not self-deprecation but organizes expression by action target and listener relation. Seasonal cards also require separating tradition from current status. Japan Post announced on 31 August 2026 that 2027 New Year's postcards go on sale on 2 November 2026, New Year's mail acceptance starts on 20 December, and posting by 27 December is the target for New Year's Day delivery. These are year-specific dates and must be rechecked next year. Summer greetings normally arrive from shosho to before risshu, then become late-summer greetings; かもめ～る has not been issued since fiscal 2021. The public course retains the traditional names while identifying historical products, year-specific dates, and current options.
- 許可と 恩恵が あるか、確認します。I check whether permission and benefit exist.
- 必要が なければ、簡潔に 言います。If unnecessary, I speak simply.
- 郵便の 日程は 毎年 確認します。I check postal dates every year.