Keigo vs Casual Japanese 2026: What to Say at Work

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Last updated: October 2026

Knowing this, when in doubt you default to desu/masu and stop going silent for fear of being rude.

Keigo (敬語) is the set of Japanese forms that express respect for the listener through the shape of the words themselves. It splits into three types: sonkeigo, kenjougo, and teineigo.

Most guides to keigo teach it as grammar. This one is written for people who actually live and work here, so it answers the two questions grammar guides tend not to: what do I say on my shift tomorrow, and when am I being too polite?

The core rule: who you are talking to decides how you speak

Your teacher chats with you in a relaxed, friendly way, so you answer in the same casual words you use with friends. Where you come from, that may be how people grow closer. In Japanese, polite speech is the default with a teacher, and talking to them the way you talk to a friend comes across as rude.

In Japanese, the most important thing is changing how you speak based on your relationship to the listener. “Taberu?” (want to eat?) is perfectly normal to a friend and disrespectful to a teacher. So the first thing to learn is not verb forms – it is the map of who gets which register.

The three types of keigo – teineigo, sonkeigo, kenjougo – learned by direction

All three show respect to the listener. Teineigo makes the whole sentence polite, sonkeigo lifts the other person’s actions up, and kenjougo lowers your own actions down. This is where many learners get stuck, but thinking in directions is what makes it finally click.

• Teineigo (polite): add desu and masu. The simplest and safest
• Sonkeigo (respectful): raises the other person’s actions, upward. Words that show respect for them
• Kenjougo (humble): lowers your own actions, downward. Words that make yourself modest

The Council for Cultural Affairs’ Guidelines on Keigo also explain keigo as five types, by splitting kenjougo and teineigo further. This does not contradict the three types taught in school, so three is plenty to start with (Council for Cultural Affairs: Guidelines on Keigo, in Japanese).

Take the verb “to go.” If the teacher goes, it becomes irassharu (sonkeigo, raising them). If you go, it becomes mairu or ukagau (kenjougo, lowering yourself). Same action, different word, decided entirely by whether it is their action or yours (Council for Cultural Affairs: Guidelines on Keigo, in Japanese).

The conversion table you can keep open (see, say, go…)

These are the verbs that come up constantly (Agency for Cultural Affairs: keigo index, in Japanese). Start with the teineigo column only – you can add the other two over months, not days. A free community Japanese class run by local governments and international associations is a low-pressure place to try them out loud.

Which speech for which situation (common scenes for students)

• Friends: “Kyou no jugyou dou datta?” (How was class today?), “Gohan ikou!” (Let’s go eat!) → casual speech is natural. Keigo makes you sound distant
• A senior coworker at your part-time job: “Kochira, owarimashita” (This one is finished) → teineigo is the default. Stay polite until they say “tameguchi de ii yo” (casual is fine)
• Your shift manager, and customers at work: “Irasshaimase” (Welcome), “Shoushou omachi kudasaimase” (One moment, please) → stay polite the whole time you are working. With customers, lean on sonkeigo and kenjougo. This pays off in part-time job interviews and customer service
• Teachers: “Kono mondai ga wakarimasen” (I don’t understand this problem), “Raishuu wa nanji kara desu ka?” (What time does it start next week?) → teineigo is the base. When you talk about something the teacher does, add sonkeigo: “Sensei wa ashita irasshaimasu ka?” (Will you be here tomorrow, sensei?). The Guidelines on Keigo (in Japanese) also use the example of showing respect to a teacher with sonkeigo

What you actually say on a part-time shift

You do not need all three types to start working. Almost every shift at a convenience store or restaurant runs on a small set of fixed phrases. Nobody expects you to conjugate anything on the spot. Learn these eight and you are functional from day one.

Notice that most of these are memorized units, not grammar you build. For the lines around the shift itself — the application call, calling in sick, asking for a day off — see Japanese phrases for work. That is the honest shortcut: customer-facing Japanese is more like learning eight phrases than learning a system. If you are still choosing where to work, see our part-time job guide – jobs where you talk to customers are worth more than the hourly rate suggests, because every shift doubles as a free speaking lesson.

The mistake nobody warns you about: being too polite

You often hear that when in doubt, you should be more polite. That is good advice with strangers and bad advice with people you see every day. Keigo used with a friend creates distance, and holding it too long can quietly stop a friendship from forming.

So how do you know when to switch? There are reliable signals:

• They say “tameguchi de ii yo” – a direct invitation to drop keigo. Take it
• They start using casual forms with you first – the senior person has relaxed first, so it is fine to follow
• You are the same age or year, outside of work – classmates usually move to casual quickly
• When it is genuinely unclear, stay on desu/masu with a warm tone. Politeness with warmth rarely reads as cold

At work, think the other way round: with a shift manager or a customer, staying polite is the safe choice however friendly things get. Casual speech to a customer can get you a talking-to.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Doubled keigo (nijuu keigo) is the mistake that comes from trying hard. Using the same type of keigo twice on one word does not make you more polite – it makes you sound like you are overreaching. The Guidelines on Keigo give “oyomi ni narareru” as an example of doubled keigo and say it is generally not appropriate. Some doubled forms have become accepted by custom, though, such as “omeshiagari ni naru” and “oukagai suru” (Council for Cultural Affairs: Guidelines on Keigo, in Japanese).

When unsure, there is one rule: make teineigo (desu/masu) your base. That alone keeps you from being rude in almost every situation. As you get used to it, add sonkeigo and kenjougo little by little.

Official sources: Council for Cultural Affairs: Guidelines on Keigo (Japanese) / Agency for Cultural Affairs: keigo index (Japanese) / Agency for Cultural Affairs: common keigo mistakes (Japanese) (checked 18 October 2026)

Frequently asked questions

Q. What should I learn first?

Teineigo, the desu and masu forms. It is the easiest and it is almost never rude with anyone. Build that base first, then add sonkeigo and kenjougo gradually.

Q. I keep mixing up sonkeigo and kenjougo.

Ask yourself whose action it is. Their action takes sonkeigo (irassharu, meshiagaru). Your action takes kenjougo (mairu, itadaku). Picture the direction diagram above: them up, you down.

Q. Do I need keigo for a part-time job interview?

Yes, but desu and masu plus a few fixed phrases is enough to interview well. If you can add sonkeigo and kenjougo, you make an even better impression. Visibly trying to be polite is what counts.

Q. Is it strange to keep using keigo with a friend?

It does create distance over time. Once someone tells you tameguchi is fine, or starts speaking casually to you, follow their lead and shift gradually.

Q. Can I get by at work with only desu and masu?

Yes. Combined with the set phrases in the table above, desu and masu will carry you through a convenience store or restaurant shift. Sonkeigo and kenjougo make you sound more polished, but they are not a requirement to start.

Summary

• Speech level is chosen by your relationship to the listener. Friends get casual speech; people above you and customers get keigo
• Three types: teineigo, sonkeigo, kenjougo
• The direction trick: sonkeigo raises them, kenjougo lowers you
• When unsure, desu and masu is the safe base. desu and masu plus about eight set phrases is enough to work a shift
• Watch the other failure mode too: too much formality with friends keeps people at a distance
• Common slips are mix-ups, doubled keigo, and sounding like an order. Fix them a little at a time

Related guides

• If you want to check how the 28 hours are counted and what pay is normal → Part-time jobs in Japan: the 28-hour rule and how to find work
• If you want to know what your visa lets you earn on the side → Making money in Japan: what your visa really allows
• If you want to know why about 3% of student-to-work changes are refused → Student visa to work visa: why some applications fail
• If you want Japanese practice and job-hunting material from the same effort → Start a blog in Japan: practise Japanese, build a portfolio
• If you want to check what to do within 14 days of arriving → Registering your address (juminhyo): how to get it and what to watch for

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