GrammarJLPT N5
お・ご
→ honorific prefix
(お / ご) Honorific / Polite / Humble Prefix
JLPT N5PrefixHonorific
The prefix 御, read as お or ご, is attached to the front of nouns, adjectives, and sometimes verbs to add politeness, respect, or humility. When read as お, it typically attaches to native Japanese words (和語 / わご), such as お名前, お茶, お元気. When read as ご, it typically attaches to Sino-Japanese words (漢語 / かんご), such as ご家族, ご意見, ご連絡. There are notable exceptions to this pattern, such as お電話 and お料理, which use お despite being Sino-Japanese. The prefix can function in three ways: as honorific language (尊敬語) to elevate the listener or a third party, as humble language (謙譲語) to lower the speaker's own actions or possessions, or simply as polite/beautifying language (美化語) that makes speech sound more refined without a specific directional politeness. Context determines which function is at play. In casual conversation, overusing お or ご can sound stiff or overly formal, while omitting it in formal situations can sound rude. This prefix is usually written in hiragana rather than with the kanji 御.
Functions
#1 Honorific / Respectful use (尊敬語)
Structure
お / ご + Noun (belonging to or associated with the listener or a respected person)
お名前は何ですか。
Here お is attached to 名前 (name) to show respect toward the listener. Because the name belongs to the person being addressed, the prefix elevates their possession. This is a standard example of お functioning as honorific language (尊敬語). Without お, the sentence would still be grammatically correct but would sound blunt or too casual for most social situations.What is your name?
Structures
- With native Japanese words (和語)
- お + Noun / Adjective / Verb stem
- With Sino-Japanese words (漢語)
- ご + Noun
Common mistakes
A frequent mistake is applying お to Sino-Japanese words that require ご, or vice versa — for example, saying お連絡 instead of the correct ご連絡, or ご水 instead of お水. Learners should be aware of common exceptions like お電話 and お料理, which take お despite being Sino-Japanese. Another common error is attaching お or ご to the speaker's own possessions or actions without the humble grammar structure, which can sound as though the speaker is elevating themselves. For example, saying 私のお考え (my honorable thought) without a humble construction is inappropriate. Finally, some learners attach お or ご to foreign loanwords (カタカナ語), such as おコーヒー — while a few such combinations exist in women's speech or very polite service language, they are generally avoided and can sound unnatural.
Related
お～になるお～するお～くださいご～になるご～ください～様