Translation guide
In Japanese, politeness towards the listener is primarily expressed through verb endings (desu/masu forms) and polite sentence-final particles. Unlike English, where politeness is often conveyed through word choice or tone, Japanese has a grammaticalized system of addressee honorifics (teineigo) that directly marks the speaker's polite attitude toward the listener.
Express general politeness toward the listener in everyday conversation, public settings, or when speaking to strangers, superiors, or acquaintances.
この本は面白いです。
This book is interesting.
Negative polite forms. For verbs, replace ます with ません. For i-adjectives, use くないです. For nouns and na-adjectives, use ではありません (or the slightly more casual じゃないです).
今日は働きません。
I will not work today.
この料理は美味しくないです。
This dish is not delicious.
彼は先生ではありません。
He is not a teacher.
Polite past and past negative forms. Use ました for affirmative past and ませんでした for negative past.
昨日映画を見ました。
I watched a movie yesterday.
朝ごはんを食べませんでした。
I did not eat breakfast.
Add a softer, more considerate tone to statements or requests, often used in combination with desu/masu forms.
Adds a friendly, seeking-agreement nuance. Often used to soften statements and show empathy. Can be used with both polite and plain forms, but with desu/masu it maintains politeness.
Adds emphasis or provides new information. In polite speech, it can sound slightly assertive but still polite. Use with caution as it may sound too direct in some contexts.
明日は休みですよ。
Tomorrow is a holiday, you know.
Combines よ (assertion) and ね (agreement). Used to confirm shared information or gently remind.
この店、美味しいですよね。
This restaurant is good, isn't it?
Make requests or offers in a polite, non-imposing manner.
Standard polite request. Literally 'please do ~'. Used with te-form of verb. Can be softened further with ませんか or other forms.
ここに名前を書いてください。
Please write your name here.
Polite invitation or suggestion. Softer than 〜てください, as it asks for willingness rather than giving a direct order.
一緒に映画を見ませんか。
Would you like to watch a movie together?
Polite volitional form used for offers or suggestions involving the speaker. 'Let's ~' or 'I shall ~'.
手伝いましょう。
Let me help you.
Very polite request using humble form. Literally 'Could I possibly receive the favor of you doing ~?' Used in formal situations or when making a significant request.
少々お待ちいただけませんか。
Would you mind waiting a moment?
Show respect toward the listener by using honorific or humble verbs, often in formal business settings.
Honorific form of います/行きます/来ます. Used when referring to the listener's or a respected person's actions. Shows high politeness.
田中様はいらっしゃいますか。
Is Mr./Ms. Tanaka there?
Humble form of 言います. Used when speaking about oneself to show humility toward the listener.
私は田中と申します。
My name is Tanaka. (humble)
Japanese has two main politeness axes: teineigo (listener politeness) and sonkeigo/kenjougo (respect/humility toward the subject). Using desu/masu makes you polite to the listener, but does not elevate the subject. For example, 先生が来ました is polite to the listener but neutral about the teacher. To show respect to the teacher, you would say 先生がいらっしゃいました.
先生が来ました。
The teacher came. (polite to listener)
先生がいらっしゃいました。
The teacher came. (respectful to teacher + polite to listener)
In casual conversation with friends or family, using plain forms (without desu/masu) is natural and does not indicate rudeness. Politeness is context-dependent. Overusing desu/masu with close friends can create distance.