N3

Humble Language in Reading

Understand humble language in emails, service messages, and business text so you can see who lowers themselves and why.

Recognize common humble verbs and patterns in formal communication.Distinguish humble language from honorific language in context.Use humble forms to identify the speaker's role and point of view.

Guided study

Common humble verbs

Humble language lowers the speaker or the speaker's in-group in relation to the listener or another respected person. Common forms include 申す, いたす, 伺う, 拝見する, いただく, and おる.

私は田中と申します。

My name is Tanaka.

Humble for 言う in self-introduction.

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明日、そちらに伺います。

I will visit you tomorrow.

Humble for 行く / 聞く depending on context.

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