General Definition of Japanese Honorifics

It is common knowledge that Japanese is one of the toughest second languages to grasp as a native English speaker, not because of the writing system however the honorific system. As a Japanese student, it is hard to understand the proper timing for honorific speech in social situations. Most schools today will teach the plain form without allowing the students to grasp the more honorific formal style. Since the idea of honorifics is hard to learn, most schools will shy upon teaching all forms in the school curriculum - sometimes reserving only one day to learn the honorific forms of the entire language. If planning to visit or live in Japan though, it is the difference of honoring or insulting an individual that is of a higher social status. It is essential to know the difference among these forms as a Japanese foreign language student.

As a Japanese foreign language student, it is first reasonable to note that each sentence in the Japanese language can be used in three different categories: honorific, polite and humble expressions. Each form is used to express the three different levels of formality and politeness towards the listener in the conversation. Each form depends on the social superiority that is usually measured by age, social status, experience, or the relationship to the listener. It is the social responsibility of the speaker to learn and use these forms properly.

A. Polite Forms: The polite form is the most commonly taught in American schools. It consists of two forms: polite and plain.
1. The polite form is generally used in more formal situations when the listener is not socially close to the speaker.
2. Therefore, plain form is generally used in situations when the listener is a close friend or family member. With this in mind, please use the polite form while talking to people of the same age or of younger age that are not close friends or family members. The polite form is used for