basic information

There are several levels of politeness in the Japanese language: a colloquial, a more polite, and a very polite, honorific level (keigo). You are supposed to speak in a honorific language to people who are of much higher social status than yourself, for example, to customers, teachers, elder people, etc. Basically, very humble expressions are used when referring to yourself and very honorific ones when referring to the person you are addressing.

According to the level of politeness, verb endings differ or whole alternative expressions and words are used. Even a Japanese person needs much exercise in order to be able to correctly express herself/himself in a formal, honorific way.

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