GRAMMAR
お・ご
honorific prefix particle
Explanation
NOTE
The prefixes お and ご are honorific markers added before nouns, na-adjectives, and verb stems to show politeness or respect. They make your speech sound more refined and courteous.
NOTE
お is used with native Japanese words (和語), while ご is used with words of Chinese origin (漢語). There are some exceptions, so you will need to learn common pairings.
ご飯
Rice / meal (polite)
ご + Chinese-origin word
お茶
Tea (polite)
お + native Japanese word
STRUCTURE
N辞
おお名前は何ですか。
Onamae wa nan desu ka.
What is your name?
お花がきれいです。
Ohana ga kirei desu.
The flowers are beautiful.
お水をください。
Omizu wo kudasai.
Please give me water.
STRUCTURE
N辞
ごご家族はお元気ですか。
Gokazoku wa ogenki desu ka.
Is your family well?
ご注文はお決まりですか。
Gochuumon wa okimari desu ka.
Have you decided on your order?
ご連絡ください。
Gorenraku kudasai.
Please contact me.
Example sentences
お名前は何ですか。
What is your name?
ご家族は日本にいますか。
Is your family in Japan?
Practice exercises
1
お名前を教えてください。
Please tell me your name.
Answer
おご
2
お名前は何ですか。
What is your name?
Answer
お
3
お茶をどうぞ。
Please have some tea.
Answer
お
4
ご家族はお元気ですか。
Is your family well?
Answer
ご
5
ご飯を食べましょう。
Let's eat a meal.
Answer
ご
6
お名前を教えてください。
Please tell me your name.
Answer
おご
7
お水をください。
Please give me water. (polite)
Answer
お
8
ご注文はお決まりですか。
Have you decided on your order? (polite)
Answer
ご
9
お寺に行きました。
I went to the temple. (polite)
Answer
お
10
ご住所を教えてください。
Please tell me your address. (polite)
Answer
ご