Many of our students can pass a grammar test and still freeze the first time a customer walks in or an interviewer says hello. The reason is almost always the same: keigo, the polite language Japanese workplaces expect. This guide to keigo for beginners covers the phrases and rules you actually need for your first part-time job and your first interview in Japan.
Keigo (敬語) has a reputation for being scary, even among Japanese people. As a native Japanese speaker who has lived with a Nepali family in Nepal for the past 8 years, I see the same worry in our students again and again. They ask, “Do I need to learn everything before I go?” The honest answer is no. Native speakers take years to master advanced keigo, and employers know that foreign students are still learning. What they do notice is effort, a respectful tone, and a handful of key phrases used correctly. That is exactly what this keigo for beginners guide will give you.
Why Keigo Is Easier for Nepali Speakers Than You Think
Nepali speakers have a real advantage here that is rarely mentioned. Nepali already has levels of respect built into everyday speech: you choose between तँ, तिमी, तपाईं and हजुर depending on who you are talking to, and verbs change form to show respect, such as खान्छ versus खानुहुन्छ. You already understand the core idea of keigo, which is that the words you choose show how you see the other person. The difference is that Japanese applies this system more strictly, especially at work, and it uses separate vocabulary rather than only changing verb endings.
| Quick fix: Whenever keigo feels confusing, ask yourself the question you would ask in Nepali: “Am I speaking to someone I should show respect to?” If yes, choose the polite or respectful form. This one habit gets you most of the way at a part-time job. |
Keigo for Beginners: The Three Types in Plain Language
Keigo has three types. You do not need to memorize them all at once, but you should know what each one does.
| Type | Purpose | Examples |
| 丁寧語 (teineigo) | General politeness; the です/ます style you already study | 食べます, 行きます |
| 尊敬語 (sonkeigo) | Raises the other person by honoring their actions | 召し上がる (eat), おっしゃる (say), いらっしゃる (go/come/be) |
| 謙譲語 (kenjōgo) | Lowers your own actions to show humility | いただく (eat/receive), 申す (say), 参る (go/come), おる (be) |
The simplest way to remember the difference: sonkeigo is for the other person’s actions, and kenjōgo is for your own. Mixing them up is the most common keigo mistake, and we will come back to it below.
| Quick fix: As a beginner, start with teineigo and learn only a small set of fixed sonkeigo and kenjōgo phrases for work. You do not need to convert every verb. Fixed phrases used correctly sound far better than complicated sentences used incorrectly. |
Keigo for Part-Time Jobs: 8 Phrases You Will Use Every Day
Part-time jobs in convenience stores, restaurants, hotels, and shops all rely on the same set of customer service phrases. Learn these and you will sound confident from your first shift.
| Situation | Japanese | Meaning |
| Greeting a customer | いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase) | Welcome |
| Understanding an instruction | かしこまりました (kashikomarimashita) | Certainly, understood |
| Asking a customer to wait | 少々お待ちください (shōshō omachi kudasai) | Please wait a moment |
| After a wait | お待たせいたしました (omatase itashimashita) | Thank you for waiting |
| Apologizing | 申し訳ございません (mōshiwake gozaimasen) | I am very sorry |
| Asking someone to repeat | もう一度おっしゃっていただけますか (mō ichido osshatte itadakemasu ka) | Could you please say that once more? |
| Starting a shift | よろしくお願いします (yoroshiku onegai shimasu) | Please look after me |
| Leaving before others | お先に失礼します (osaki ni shitsurei shimasu) | Excuse me for leaving first |
Notice that each of these is a fixed phrase. You can learn them as complete units, in the same way we recommend learning sentence patterns rather than translating word by word.
Keigo for Interviews: Making a Strong First Impression
Whether you are interviewing for a part-time job, a school, or a company, interviewers are listening for three things: a clear self-introduction, polite answers, and a respectful manner from the moment you walk in. A simple structure works well.
- Entering the room: 失礼します (shitsurei shimasu), said as you enter, and again with a short bow when you sit down after being invited.
- Introducing yourself: 〇〇と申します。よろしくお願いいたします。 (“My name is [ ]. I look forward to your consideration.”) Use 申します, not 〇〇です, because it is the humble form.
- Saying when you can work: 週に〇日、働くことができます。 (“I can work [number] days a week.”)
- Asking for clarification: 申し訳ございません、もう一度お願いできますでしょうか。 (“I am sorry, could you please say that once more?”)
- Closing: 本日はありがとうございました。よろしくお願いいたします。 (“Thank you for today. I look forward to hearing from you.”)
If you are interviewing with a company rather than a shop, you will also hear 御社 (onsha), meaning “your company,” which is the respectful word used in spoken Japanese. In writing, the form is 貴社 (kisha).
| Quick fix: Practice your self-introduction aloud until it feels natural, and record yourself. Interviewers care less about perfect grammar than about a calm voice, clear pronunciation, and a confident bow. Our interview and documentation support sessions use exactly this kind of practice. |
Common Keigo Mistakes to Avoid
These are the mistakes I hear most often, even from students with good JLPT results.
- Using sonkeigo for yourself: Saying 私がいらっしゃいます (“I will come,” in respectful form) honors yourself instead of the other person. Use the humble form instead: 私が参ります.
- Saying ご苦労様です to a boss or senior: This phrase is traditionally used by a superior to someone below them. To colleagues and seniors, say お疲れ様です.
- Using double keigo: Forms like おっしゃられる stack two respectful forms on top of each other. Use the single form, おっしゃる.
- 4. Using respectful language about your own team in front of customers: If a customer asks for your manager, 店長はいらっしゃいません sounds wrong because it honors your own manager. Say 店長は今おりません instead. In Japanese business culture, you lower your own side when speaking to someone outside it.
- Answering with 了解です: Many Japanese workplaces consider this too casual for a boss or customer. Use 承知しました or かしこまりました.
| Quick fix: If you are unsure which form to use, choose the simple polite form (です/ます) rather than guessing at a complex one. A correct simple sentence always sounds better than an incorrect formal one. |
How Suiren Helps Students Learn Keigo
At Suiren, we do not treat keigo as an advanced topic to leave until the end. Our instructors introduce polite forms early, teach them through realistic scenes such as a convenience store counter, a restaurant order, or a school interview, and give students speaking practice with correction in context. This is the approach that builds real confidence, because students hear and use keigo the way they will in Japan, rather than only reading it in a textbook.
From the partnerships side of my work, I see the difference this makes. Students who have practiced polite Japanese before arrival adapt faster at their first part-time jobs, feel less anxious in school interviews, and make a stronger impression on Japanese staff and partner institutions from the very first meeting.
Want to speak polite Japanese with confidence before you arrive in Japan? Contact Suiren Japanese Language Center today for a free consultation. Visit us in Kathmandu or Chitwan, or reach out via WhatsApp for immediate assistance.
