Keigo Guide: The A/B/C Framework for Workplace Japanese

Table of contents

Who this guide is for

• Expats working in Japanese companies who can say arigatou gozaimasu in their sleep but freeze up deciding between ありがとうございます and ご丁寧にありがとうございます when replying to the CEO.
• Japanese learners at JLPT N3–N2 who know the grammar but can’t pick the right register in real-world situations.
• Global HR managers and team leads onboarding non-Japanese staff into Japanese offices (there’s a shareable call-out for you at the end).

Textbooks teach you grammar. They don’t teach you what to reply when your boss pings you on Slack at 8 p.m. This guide fills that gap.

What is keigo?

Keigo isn’t one thing — it’s a social tool kit with three modes. Think of it less as “polite Japanese” and more as “language that signals social distance.”

The short answer most textbooks skip: in real workplaces, you don’t need to master every honorific verb. You need to know which of three levels to pick in the moment. That’s what the A/B/C framework later in this guide gives you.

The 3 types of keigo: Sonkeigo, Kenjougo, and Teineigo

There’s one mental model that makes all of this click:

• If the subject is the other person → sonkeigo (e.g., “The director said…” → buchou ga osshatta)
• If the subject is me → kenjougo (e.g., “I said…” → watashi ga moushimashita)
• If you just want a polite sentence ending → teineigo (e.g., “It’s raining today” → kyou wa ame desu)

Once you’ve internalized “who’s the subject?” as the first question to ask, you can stop memorizing tables and focus on the A/B/C level selection below.

The A/B/C politeness framework

At Real-World Japanese, we teach keigo as three rephrasings of the same intent:

When in doubt, pick B. Use B as your anchor and adjust up or down depending on the relationship. That’s the mental model closest to how native speakers actually operate.

The single biggest mistake non-natives make is the opposite: defaulting to C with everyone. Saying ～でございます to your peer sounds like you’re keeping distance on purpose. It’s uncomfortable to receive.

Uchi-soto: the hidden axis that shapes A/B/C

Politeness isn’t only about “how high-ranking is this person?” It’s also about “are they inside my group (uchi) or outside (soto)?”

• Uchi (内): Your company, your department, your family, your close circle
• Soto (外): Other companies, clients, people you just met, higher-ranking acquaintances

Here’s the weird part: the same person can be uchi or soto depending on context. Your boss is soto when you’re talking to them directly in the office (they’re higher rank → lean toward C). But when you’re speaking to an external client about your boss, your boss becomes uchi (you humble-speak about them using kenjougo, essentially “lowering” them to show respect to the client).

You’ll pick this up naturally as you work through the scenarios below. For now, the rule of thumb: B inside your group, C outside of it.

Verb conjugation quick reference (A/B/C)

The table below covers 10 of the most common verbs you’ll conjugate at work. The C column is split into sonkeigo (for the other person’s action) and kenjougo (for your own action).

The core rule: other person’s action → sonkeigo. Your own action → kenjougo. Same “C level,” different column depending on who the subject is. Ask “who’s the subject?” before you pick a verb.

10 office situations solved with A/B/C

Now the real guide starts. Below are 10 moments you’ll hit in a Japanese office — most of them before lunch on day one — and how to phrase each at all three levels.

1. Greeting on arrival

Tip: The “A-level greeting” has a narrow use case. When in doubt, even with your peers, start at B. You can drop later.

2. Saying thank you

Tip: “ご丁寧に〜” acknowledges that the other person went out of their way. Useful in reply emails, but don’t overuse it — it lands heavier than a simple ありがとうございます, so save it for moments that actually earned it.

3. A light apology (being late, typo, etc.)

Tip: Sumimasen is a three-in-one word — it handles apology, thanks, and getting someone’s attention. It’s everywhere. But when you’ve actually caused trouble, shift up to C. B is fine for typos; C is for missed deadlines.

4. Making a request

Tip: The magic phrase in C is otesū desu ga — “I know this is an imposition.” Prefacing with this single cushion changes the entire tone. It’s near-mandatory in client-facing email.

5. Declining / saying no

Tip: Japanese avoids flat “no.” Muzukashii (“difficult”) and tsugō ga tsukazu (“my circumstances don’t align”) are the real ways to decline. Trailing off with …… at the end of C is a classic move — it softens the refusal without committing to anything sharper.

6. Acknowledging / confirming

Tip: ⚠️ Ryōkai shimashita is fine inside your team but lands poorly with clients or higher-ups — it carries a faint “top-down acknowledgment” tone. Replace with shōchi itashimashita for anything external. This is the single most common mistake non-natives get corrected on.

7. Asking a question

Tip: The “~sasete kudasai” pattern — asking for permission to do something yourself — is one of the most reusable polite patterns in the language. You’ll use it dozens of times a week.

8. Stepping out / excusing yourself

Tip: For a quick bathroom break mid-meeting, B is plenty. Save C for when you’re stepping out of a meeting with external stakeholders.

9. Ending a call or closing a meeting

Tip: “Shitsurei shimasu / shitsurei itashimasu” is the closing line for phone calls and leaving a room. Hanging up without it sounds abrupt, almost rude. Train yourself to end every call with this.

10. Opening an email

Tip: Internal email = B, external email = C — this is the workplace default. Using C inside your own company sounds standoffish, almost passive-aggressive.

The 4 mistakes non-native speakers make most

Mistake 1: Using ryōkai shimashita with clients

Ryōkai carries a subtle “acknowledged from above” nuance for many native listeners. Safe inside your team; risky with anyone external. Swap for shōchi itashimashita or kashikomarimashita.

Mistake 2: Using go-kurou-sama desu with your boss

Go-kurou-sama is a top-to-bottom expression — it’s what a boss says to you, not the other way around. Use otsukare-sama desu instead with seniors and peers.

Mistake 3: Overusing ~sasete itadaku

~sasete itadaku literally means “I humbly receive your permission to do X.” It’s designed for actions that actually require the other party’s approval. Kakunin sasete itadakimasu (letting me confirm) is correct; o-okuri sasete itadakimasu (letting me send this email) is widely criticized as excessive. Plain o-okuri shimasu is fine.

Mistake 4: Dropping formality on Slack / Teams

Chat apps feel casual, so most people default to B in workplace Slack. But the register is set by the person, not the channel. If you’re pinging a manager from another department — or worse, an external partner — “ryōkai desu” can land weirdly light. The fix: use the same C-level you’d use in an email when the relationship calls for it. Shōchi itashimashita still works on Slack.

The principle: Pick your register by who you’re talking to, not by which app you’re using.

3 rules you can use tomorrow

1. When in doubt, pick B. C to a peer creates weird distance. A to your manager is unthinkable.
2. Ryōkai shimashita → shōchi itashimashita for anything external or upward.
3. The three golden cushions: otesū desu ga (I know this is an imposition), osore irimasu ga (with apologies), shitsurei shimasu (excuse me). Prefix these to almost anything and it jumps to C.

Those three rules alone will keep you out of 80% of keigo trouble. The rest is practice.

Frequently asked questions

Is keigo the same as “being polite”?

No — teineigo (です/ます) is what most learners think of as “polite Japanese,” but keigo is a broader system that also includes sonkeigo (respectful, for the other person’s actions) and kenjougo (humble, for your own actions). Mastering all three is what separates conversational Japanese from professional Japanese.

How long does it take to learn keigo?

If you can already handle です/ます, you can learn the A/B/C framework in this guide in under an hour. Getting comfortable enough that it flows naturally at work takes months of practice — which is exactly what Essential 30 (our practice pack) is designed to accelerate.

Do young Japanese people still use keigo?

Yes. Even Gen Z Japanese employees use keigo in any workplace setting. It’s a social protocol, not a generational preference. You’ll hear casual speech between close friends, but the moment a client is on the line or an exec walks in, everyone switches registers automatically.

Is keigo only for business?

No. Keigo shows up any time there’s a clear social gap: talking to teachers, customer service interactions, public announcements, formal emails, and ceremonies. But for most expats, the daily exposure is business-driven, which is why this guide focuses there.

How do I use the honorific prefixes o- and go- correctly?

Use o- with native Japanese words (kun’yomi readings) and go- with Sino-Japanese words (on’yomi readings). So it’s o-namae (name), o-tegami (letter), but go-renraku (contact), go-kakunin (confirmation), go-annai (guidance). There are exceptions (o-denwa, “phone,” is one), but the rule gets you ~90% of the way. When in doubt, listen to what your Japanese colleagues type on Slack — they’ll hit the right prefix without thinking, and that’s your live cheat sheet.

Can I use this guide to study for the JLPT?

The A/B/C framework isn’t part of the JLPT grading criteria — but the verb conjugations (sonkeigo / kenjougo) in the reference table above are tested directly in JLPT N3 and N2. Learn the framework to survive the office; memorize the verb table for the test.

Want more workplace phrases?

At Real-World Japanese, we’ve published Polite Japanese for Work: The Essential 30 — a PDF with 30 daily office phrases, each written at all three A/B/C levels, with romaji and situational notes. Think of it as this guide compressed into a flashcard you can keep open during your next meeting.

→ Get The Essential 30 on Gumroad

More articles in this cluster (coming soon):

• Business email in Japanese: Opening, closing, reply patterns
• Meeting and phone phrases: Running and joining meetings
• Japanese workplace culture: The unwritten rules behind the language

For HR managers and team leads: If you’re onboarding non-Japanese staff into a Japanese office, the fastest single upgrade to their first 90 days is getting the keigo register right. Share this guide with them — or forward it with a note about which specific situations come up most in your team.