Japanese grammar
What does お／ご～になる mean? Japanese grammar N4
お／ご～になる means (someone superior) does ~ (formulaic honorific).
| Level (estimated, JLPT framework) | N4 |
|---|---|
| Structure | お + Vます (drop ます) + になる ご + N (Sino-Japanese root) + になる |
| Romaji | o / go ~ ni naru |
| Meaning | (someone superior) does ~ (formulaic honorific) |
Forming it
| Exception | Verbs whose masu stem is only 1 syllable (見る→見, 寝る→寝) do NOT use this pattern |
|---|---|
| Native Japanese verb (yamato) | お + masu stem + になる (書く → お書きになる) |
| Sino-Japanese verb (suru-verb) | ご + N + になる (利用する → ご利用になる) |
How to use it
Forming respectful language for verbs that don't have a special respectful form.
- This is the "safest" way to form respectful language: just take the masu stem of the verb and sandwich it between お and になる.
- Choosing お or ご: native Japanese verbs (kun reading) use お (お使いになる), Sino-Japanese nouns + する (on reading) use ご (ご説明になる). There are a few conventional exceptions like お電話 (even though 電話 is a Sino-Japanese word).
- This pattern is more formal than れる/られる, so it often appears in public announcements, restaurants, hotels, and when speaking to customers.
- Verbs that already have a special respectful form should NOT be forced into this pattern: 食べる already has 召し上がる, so you don't say お食べになる.
Examples
部長はこの本をもうお読みになりましたか。
Has the department manager already read this book?
お客様がお待ちになっています。
The customer is waiting.
エレベーターをご利用になってください。
Please use the elevator.
Keep in mind
- For verbs whose masu stem is only 1 syllable (見る → 見ます → 見), the formula sounds too short, so Japanese speakers use the special form ご覧になる instead of "お見になる".
- Don't confuse this with お～する (N4-071) — that one is HUMBLE, used for actions you yourself perform. They differ by only one word, になる vs する, but have completely opposite meanings.
Common mistakes
-
Wrong私が資料をお書きになります。
I will write the document.
Correct私が資料をお書きします。
An action performed by yourself must use the humble お～する, not the respectful お～になる.
-
Wrong先生はもうお帰りになられました。
The teacher has already gone home.
Correct先生はもうお帰りになりました。
お～になる is already respectful; adding られる on top creates double honorifics (二重敬語) — incorrect.
Exam tips
- Classic trap: given お読み___ and asked to choose になります or します — look at the subject to decide.