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The honorific prefix お (o)
お is an honorofic prefix that can be added to nouns, verbal adjectives
and the ren'youkei (連用形) conjugation of verbs. (The ren'youkei will
be discussed in the 4th lesson, verbal adjectives in lesson 6).
Honorific prefixes and suffixes are only used when referring to
someone else, or someone else's belongings. As さん cannot be used
in combination with your own name, お cannot be used to items pertaining
to yourself (with a few exceptions which I will deal with later).
| 手紙 (tegami) |
letter |
→ |
お手紙 (o-tegami) |
your letter |
| 安い (yasui) |
It's cheap |
→ |
お安いです (o-yasui desu) |
It's cheap, sir. |
| 座る (suwaru) |
I sit |
→ |
お座りください (o-suwari kudasai) |
Please, have a seat. |
| |
The honorific お is the kun'yomi (訓読み) of the kanji 御, of course
there is also an on'yomi (音読み) of this kanji.
| |
御 |
| kun'yomi (訓読み) |
お (o) / おん (on) / み (mi) |
| on'yomi (音読み) |
ご (go) / ぎょ (gyo) |
As a general rule the kun'yomi reading of this character is placed
in front of kun'yomi words, the on'yomi reading in front of on'yomi
words.
| Kun'yomi: お |
|
| お店 (o-mise) |
shop |
お母さん (o-kaasan) |
mother |
| お友達 (o-tomodachi) |
your friend(s) |
お金持ち (o-kanemochi) |
a wealthy person |
| |
| Kun'yomi: お in
front of on'yomi words |
|
| お電話 (o-denwa) |
your telephone (call) |
お時間 (o-jikan) |
your time |
| お勘定 (o-kanjou) |
calculation |
お礼 / 御礼 (o-rei) |
gratitude |
| |
| On'yomi: ご |
|
| ご住所 (go-juusho) |
your address |
ご結婚 (go-kekkon) |
your marriage |
| ご心配 (go-shimpai) |
your concern |
ご希望 (go-kibou) |
your wish |
| |
Kun'yomi:
み
usually used with words related to Shintoism |
|
| 御酒 / 神酒 (miki) |
holy sake |
御門 (mikado) |
emperor |
| 御幸 (miyuki) |
imperial visit |
御霊 (mitama) |
the divine soul |
| |
Sometimes the honorific prefix is used for words regardless of
to whom they belong. This use of the prefix is called bikago (美化語),
or word beautification.
| 美化語
(word beautification) |
|
| お金 (o-kane) |
money |
お尻 (o-shiri) |
buttocks |
| お酒 (o-sake) |
alcohol / sake |
お手! (o-te!) |
give paw (to a dog) |
| お腹 (o-naka) |
stomach |
おやつ (o-yatsu) |
snack |
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