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How to say 'Honorific' in Japanese | 御

Wondering how to say 'Honorific' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Honorific is 'O', written as 御 in Japanese.'Honorific' in hiragana is お.

    word

    Meaning

    Honorific

    Reading

    o

    Kanji

    Honorable, General honorific term

    Explanation

    The Japanese prefix '御 (お)' is an honorific prefix used to show respect or politeness. It is commonly attached to nouns, particularly in formal or polite contexts. This prefix does not change the core meaning of the word but elevates its tone. For example: tea「お茶」(おちゃ), money「お金」(おかね). It is also used in set phrases like 'thank you'「ありがとうございます」(ありがとうございます), where '御' is implied in the politeness of the expression. Note that '御' can also be read as 'ご' in some cases, such as 'ご飯 (ごはん)' (meal/rice), but the meaning remains the same.

    Part Of Speech

    prefix

    Kanji JLPT

    N3

    Kanji Grade

    7

    Frequency

    59

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word

This word contains 1 kanji character:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Honorable, General honorific term

Words Related to Through the Kanji

These 11 Words contain the Kanji 御 as well.

  • word

    御前

    Meaning

    You

  • word

    御座る

    Meaning

    Be

  • word

    朝御飯

    Meaning

    Breakfast

  • word

    御飯

    Meaning

    Rice, Meal

  • word

    御陰

    Meaning

    Thanks

  • word

    御免

    Meaning

    Permission, Sorry

  • word

    御腹

    Meaning

    Stomach

  • word

    制御

    Meaning

    Control

  • word

    御覧

    Meaning

    Look

  • word

    御負け

    Meaning

    Bonus

  • word

    御無沙汰

    Meaning

    Neglect

Learn the Word

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What does 'O' (御) mean?

'O' means 'Honorific' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.