honorific: (someone respected) does

This honorific raises the person doing the action. Put a verb's masu-stem between お and になる (読む to お読みになる). Some verbs have special honorific forms (行く/来る/いる to いらっしゃる, 言う to おっしゃる). Use it for customers, superiors, and guests.

Examples

• 先生せんせいはもうお帰かえりになりました。

  Sensei wa mou okaeri ni narimashita.

  The teacher has already gone home.

• 社長しゃちょうは何なんとおっしゃいましたか。

  Shachou wa nan to osshaimashita ka.

  What did the president say?

Vocabulary in these examples

• 先生 teacher
• もう already; more
• 帰り return, way home
• なる to become
• 社長 company president
• 何 what

Related patterns · Passive, causative, honorific

• 〜られる（受身） passive: is done (to someone)
• 〜させられる（使役受身） be made to do (against one's will)
• お〜する（謙譲語） humble: I do (for someone respected)