Introduction
Japanese has a very complex system of honorifics.
Speech Registers
There are five essential speech registers or styles of Japanese (文体の種類). Each affects the way different words and phrases are expressed.
| Speech Register | Description |
|---|---|
| Honorific Speech (尊敬語) | Description |
| Polite Speech (丁寧語) | Description |
| Humble Speech (謙譲語) | User to lower one's own status to show utmost respect to the listener. It can only be used to describe one's own actions or to describe the actions of a person in one's in-group to other people such as customers in business. |
| Plain Speech (普通体) | This is the register used between family and friends. It is also the basis for most grammar. |
| Vulgar Speech (侮蔑語) | Description |
The first three registers comprise Japanese’s system of Honorific speech known as 敬語.