Explanation
丁寧語 is the polite register. Base: です/ます. More polite: ございます, いらっしゃいます. Used in most everyday formal situations.
Formation: Use です with nouns and adjectives and ます with verbs, choosing the tense (ます, ません, ました, ませんでした). This is the same です/ます style learned at the beginner level.
Usage & nuance: 丁寧語 is the polite register that keeps speech courteous without elevating the other person or humbling yourself. It is the safe baseline for talking to strangers, coworkers, and acquaintances. Pair it with お and ご on set words (お名前, ご住所) to sound smoother and more respectful.
Compare: 丁寧語 vs 尊敬語 and 謙譲語. 丁寧語 simply makes your sentence polite, 尊敬語 raises the other person actions, and 謙譲語 lowers your own. All three can appear together in a single formal sentence.
हिंदी में समझें
丁寧語 विनम्र शैली है। आधार: です/ます। अधिक विनम्र: ございます, いらっしゃいます। रोज़मर्रा की औपचारिक स्थितियों में उपयोग होता है।
Examples
- ありがとうございます。 (Arigatou gozaimasu.)
हिंदी: धन्यवाद।
English: Thank you (polite). - おげんきですか。 (O-genki desu ka?)
हिंदी: आप कैसे हैं?
English: How are you? - しつれいします。 (Shitsurei shimasu.)
हिंदी: क्षमा कीजिए (जाते समय)।
English: Excuse me (on leaving). - 昨日、映画を見ました。 (Kinō, eiga o mimashita.)
हिंदी: कल फ़िल्म देखी।
English: I watched a movie yesterday. - 東京は初めてですか。 (Tōkyō wa hajimete desu ka.)
हिंदी: टोक्यो पहली बार है?
English: Is this your first time in Tokyo?
Common mistakes
- Using だ in formal contexts → Use です — Plain form だ is casual.
Practice this topic
Test your understanding with 2 questions on 丁寧語 — Polite language (Teineigo).