丁寧語

• 読み: ていねいご
• ローマ字: teineigo
• 漢字の分解: 丁 (tei) — polite, careful, even; 寧 (nei) — calm, peaceful, careful; 語 (go/kata) — language, words
• 発音: /te.i.ne.i.ɡo/

意味

Polite language; courteous speech. One of the three main categories of Japanese honorific speech, characterised by the use of です and ます verb endings.

One of the three categories of 敬語 (keigo — honorific language) in Japanese, alongside 尊敬語 (sonkeigo — respectful language) and 謙譲語 (kenjōgo — humble language). 丁寧語 shows politeness towards the listener regardless of the subject; it does not elevate the subject or lower the speaker. Its chief markers are ます-form verbs and です at the end of sentences. Often the first register taught to foreign learners of Japanese.

例文

1. 丁寧語はです・ます体が代表的で、日常の礼儀正しい場面で使われる。
2. 敬語を学ぶ際は丁寧語・尊敬語・謙譲語の区別を理解することが大切だ。
3. 外国人学習者にとって、丁寧語の使い方はなかなか難しいらしい。

使い方ガイド

場面: linguistics, grammar, education, Japanese language study

トーン: neutral

起源と歴史

Compound of 丁寧 (teinei — polite, careful) and 語 (go — language, speech). 丁寧 derives from Chinese where it originally described careful, meticulous action; in Japanese it came to denote courteous, attentive behaviour and speech.

文化的背景

時代: Classical–Modern

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal