Honorific Prefixes お and ご
お (o) and ご (go) are honorific prefixes added to nouns, verbs, and adjectives to show respect or politeness. お is used with native Japanese words (wago), while ご is typically used with Chinese-origin words (kango). These prefixes beautify language and show consideration.
名前 → お名前 "name" (polite)
住所 → ご住所 "address" (polite)
茶 → お茶 "tea" (polite)
Basic Rules
お for native Japanese words
お金 "money"
お水 "water"
お茶 "tea"
お米 "rice"
お酒 "alcohol"
Japanese-origin words
kun-reading
ご for Chinese-origin words
ご住所 "address"
ご家族 "family"
ご意見 "opinion"
ご質問 "question"
ご説明 "explanation"
Chinese-origin words
on-reading
Common お Words
Daily items
お金 "money"
お水 "water"
お茶 "tea"
お米 "rice"
お箸 "chopsticks"
お皿 "plate"
お椀 "bowl"
Everyday polite words
Body and personal
お名前 "name"
お体 "body/health"
お顔 "face"
お手 "hand"
お腹 "stomach"
Personal items
Time and occasions
お正月 "New Year"
お誕生日 "birthday"
お休み "holiday/rest"
お昼 "lunch/noon"
お時間 "time"
Time-related
Common ご Words
Information
ご住所 "address"
ご連絡 "contact"
ご意見 "opinion"
ご質問 "question"
ご説明 "explanation"
ご報告 "report"
Formal information
Family and people
ご家族 "family"
ご両親 "parents"
ご主人 "husband"
ご結婚 "marriage"
Family terms
Abstract concepts
ご心配 "worry"
ご安心 "relief"
ご了承 "understanding"
ご協力 "cooperation"
Abstract nouns
With Verbs
お + Verb Stem + する (humble)
お送りする "send"
お持ちする "carry"
お待ちする "wait"
お聞きする "ask"
Your action for superior
Humble form
お + Verb Stem + になる (respectful)
お読みになる "read"
お書きになる "write"
お帰りになる "return"
お待ちになる "wait"
Superior's action
Respectful form
お + Verb Stem + ください
お待ちください "please wait"
お座りください "please sit"
お入りください "please come in"
お読みください "please read"
Polite requests
Beautification お/ご
Not always honorific
お茶 "tea" (standard, not honorific)
お米 "rice" (standard)
お金 "money" (standard)
お風呂 "bath" (standard)
Fixed expressions
General politeness
Feminine speech
Women tend to use more:
お野菜 "vegetables"
お料理 "cooking"
おトイレ "toilet"
Softens speech
More common for women
When NOT to Use
Your own possessions
Unnatural: 私のご家族 ⚠️
Natural: 私の家族 ✓
"My family"
Don't elevate your own
Exception: fixed expressions
Already polite words
Don't add: 先生 (already respectful)
Wrong: お先生 ⚠️
Inherently respectful words
No prefix needed
Foreign loanwords
Usually no prefix:
コーヒー "coffee" (no お)
パン "bread" (no お)
Exception: some fixed words
おビール "beer" (casual, feminine)
With Adjectives
お + i-adjective stem
忙しい → お忙しい "busy"
若い → お若い "young"
元気 → お元気 "healthy/energetic"
お忙しいところ...
"When you're busy..."
Respectful description
Fixed Expressions
Common set phrases
お疲れ様です "thank you for your work"
お世話になります "thank you for your help"
お大事に "take care"
お待たせしました "sorry to keep you waiting"
お願いします "please"
お邪魔します "excuse me for intruding"
Fixed polite expressions
Business お/ご
Professional terms
お名刺 "business card"
ご確認 "confirmation"
ご検討 "consideration"
ご提案 "proposal"
お見積もり "estimate"
Business vocabulary
Exceptions and Irregulars
Words that take お (Chinese origin)
お電話 "telephone"
お勉強 "study"
お料理 "cooking"
Exceptions to the rule
Common usage
Words that never take prefix
No prefix:
会社 "company" (not お会社)
学校 "school" (not お学校)
病院 "hospital" (not お病院)
Institutional words
Regional Differences
Kansai dialect
More お usage:
おいしい → おいしい (standard)
おもしろい → おもろい (Kansai)
Regional variation
Respectful Possession
Other's possessions
お名前 "your name"
ご家族 "your family"
お車 "your car"
ご住所 "your address"
Their belongings
Shows respect
Common Mistakes
Wrong prefix choice
Wrong: お住所 ⚠️
Correct: ご住所 ✓
"Address"
Chinese origin = ご
Over-using prefixes
Unnatural: お私のお家 ⚠️
Natural: 私の家 ✓
"My house"
Don't overdo it
With own things (except fixed)
Wrong: 私のお名前 ⚠️
Correct: 私の名前 ✓
"My name"
Your own = no prefix
Deciding お or ご
Quick test
Native Japanese reading? → お
お茶 (cha - kun-reading)
Chinese reading? → ご
ご家族 (kazoku - on-reading)
Listen to the reading
Practice Examples
Basic
お名前をお願いします。
"Your name, please."
ご質問がありますか。
"Do you have questions?"
お茶をどうぞ。
"Please have tea."
ご住所をお聞きしてもよろしいですか。
"May I ask your address?"
お疲れ様です。
"Thank you for your work."
Intermediate
お忙しいところ申し訳ございませんが、
少々お時間をいただけますでしょうか。
ご相談したいことがございます。
"I'm sorry to bother you when you're busy,
but could I have a moment of your time?
There's something I'd like to consult about."
本日はご来店いただき、
ありがとうございます。お名前と
ご連絡先をお伺いしてもよろしいですか。
"Thank you for visiting our store today.
May I ask your name and
contact information?"
ご注文の商品をお届けに
参りました。お時間は
大丈夫でしょうか。
"I've come to deliver your ordered
product. Is the time
convenient?"