お〜／ご〜
Polite prefix
お and ご are polite prefixes added to some nouns to sound polite or soft. お usually goes on native Japanese words and ご on words of Chinese origin, but many common words simply have to be learned with their prefix.
How to make it
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| お + native Japanese noun | 名前 → お名前 |
| ご + Chinese-origin noun | かぞく → ごかぞく |
| お + some Chinese-origin nouns (common exceptions) | 電話 → お電話、時間 → お時間 |
| Words that are almost always said with the prefix | お金、ごはん、お手あらい |
Meaning and examples
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1. Being polite about other people's things
Add お or ご to talk politely about someone else's name, family or time.
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お名前は何ですか。
おなまえはなんですか。
onamae wa nan desu ka.
What is your name?
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ごかぞくは何人ですか。
ごかぞくはなんにんですか。
gokazoku wa nannin desu ka.
How many people are in your family?
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今、お時間ありますか。
いま、おじかんありますか。
ima, ojikan arimasu ka.
Do you have a moment now?
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2. Everyday words with a built-in prefix
Some words like お金, ごはん and お手あらい are normally said with the prefix by everyone.
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すみません、お手あらいはどこですか。
すみません、おてあらいはどこですか。
sumimasen, otearai wa doko desu ka.
Excuse me, where is the toilet?
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お金がありません。
おかねがありません。
okane ga arimasen.
I don't have any money.
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ごはんを食べましょう。
ごはんをたべましょう。
gohan o tabemashou.
Let's eat.
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3. Greetings and set phrases
Many fixed expressions include お or ご, such as おげんきですか and ごちそうさまでした.
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お母さんはおげんきですか。
おかあさんはおげんきですか。
okaasan wa ogenki desu ka.
Is your mother well?
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ごちそうさまでした。
ごちそうさまでした。
gochisousama deshita.
Thank you for the meal.
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Nuance
Don't put お or ご on your own things or family when talking about yourself: say わたしの名前, not わたしのお名前. Words like お金, ごはん and お手あらい sound rough without the prefix, so learn them as whole words. The rule 'お for Japanese words, ご for Chinese words' has common exceptions such as お電話 and お時間. Katakana loanwords usually don't take お or ご.
Compared with
〜は〜ですか is the question pattern itself. お and ご just make the noun in the question politer, as in お名前は何ですか.
だ belongs to casual speech, while お and ご add politeness. Fixed words like ごはん and お金 are still used in casual talk.
Common mistakes
Wrongわたしのお名前はケンです。
Rightわたしの名前はケンです。
The polite prefix is for other people's things, not your own.
Wrongおかぞくは何人ですか。
Rightごかぞくは何人ですか。
かぞく is a Chinese-origin word, so it takes ご.
Wrongわたしのお母さんは先生です。
Rightわたしの母は先生です。
When talking to others about your own mother, say 母, not お母さん.
Practice
JLPT style: choose the best answer for （ ）.
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1すみません、（ ）名前は何ですか。
名前 is a native Japanese word, so it takes お. ご is for Chinese-origin words, and を and の are particles that can't go here.
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2（ ）かぞくは何人ですか。
かぞく is a Chinese-origin word, so the polite form is ごかぞく. の and は need a noun before them.
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3A「お母さんはおげんきですか。」B「はい、（ ）はげんきです。」
B is talking about their own mother, so they use the plain word 母. お母さん is for someone else's mother, and あね and 父 are different people.
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4今、お（ ）ありますか。
お時間ありますか means 'Do you have a moment?'. かぞく takes ご, and お名前 or おげんき don't make sense with ありますか.
FAQ
When do I use お and when do I use ご?
As a rule of thumb, お goes on native Japanese words (お名前) and ご goes on Chinese-origin words, which are often two-kanji words (ごかぞく). There are exceptions like お電話, so learn each word with its prefix.
Can I add お to any word to be polite?
No. Only certain words take お or ご, and adding it to the wrong word sounds strange. Loanwords in katakana, like コーヒー, normally have no prefix.
Why do I hear お母さん and also 母?
お母さん is used for someone else's mother, or when you speak to your own mother. When you talk about your own mother to other people, use 母.
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