伺います（うかがいます、ukagaimasu）
- to ask (humble)

The Japanese verb 伺います (うかがいます) is a polite and humble way to say "to ask," "to inquire," "to visit," or "to call on." It is the ます-form (polite form) of the humble verb 伺う (うかがう). Its meaning depends on the context, but it always conveys a sense of respect and humility towards the listener or the person being visited. It suggests that the speaker is lowering themselves to ask a question or make a request. It also shows deference when referring to one's actions. The nuance implies the speaker's willingness to "humbly" perform an action or make a visit.

⚫︎何かご質問はございますか。 ⚫︎ Translation: Do you have any questions? ⚫︎ 何か伺いたいことがございますか。 ⚫︎ Translation: Is there anything you would like to ask? ⚫︎明日、お伺いしてもよろしいでしょうか。 ⚫︎ Translation: May I visit tomorrow? ⚫︎社長に伺います。 ⚫︎ Translation: I will ask the president.

⚫︎ Use 伺います when you want to show respect and humility. ⚫︎ Use it when asking questions, especially to superiors, customers, or people you don't know well. ⚫︎ Use it when indicating that you will visit someone's home or office. ⚫︎ It's common in formal business situations, customer service, and polite everyday conversation. ⚫︎ The choice between 伺います and other verbs like 聞きます (to ask, to hear) or 行きます (to go) depends on the context and the level of politeness required. 伺います is considerably more polite. ⚫︎ It is appropriate to use it when referring to your own actions (asking, visiting), but not someone else's. For their actions, you would use a different set of humble verbs.

⚫︎ It is typically written in hiragana as うかがいます or in kanji and hiragana as 伺います. ⚫︎ The kanji 伺 alone means "to visit," "to inquire," or "to hear." ⚫︎ The okurigana (the hiragana following the kanji) is always います in the ます-form. ⚫︎ 伺います is the ます-form of the verb 伺う.

⚫︎ 尋ねます (たずねます) - To ask, to inquire. (More neutral, less humble.) ⚫︎ 訪ねます (たずねます) - To visit. (Less humble than using the humble verb) ⚫︎ 聞きます (ききます) - To ask, to hear, to listen. (Less polite.) ⚫︎ お尋ねします (おたずねします) - A more polite version of 尋ねます.

There aren't direct antonyms because it's a polite and humble form of a verb, not a concept with a direct opposite. However, in the context of asking, the opposite action would be to answer or to remain silent. In the context of visiting, it could be "not visiting."

田中さんのご自宅に、明日の午後に伺いたいのですが、よろしいでしょうか。 ⚫︎ Translation: I would like to visit Mr. Tanaka's house tomorrow afternoon, is that alright? ⚫︎ Explanation: This is a polite way of requesting permission to visit someone's house, showing respect.

何かご不明な点がございましたら、お気軽にお伺いください。 ⚫︎ Translation: If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. ⚫︎ Explanation: This sentence offers assistance and uses 伺い to show respect and encourage the listener to ask questions.

The verb 伺う derives from the verb 窺う (うかがう), which has a meaning related to looking closely or observing. The kanji 伺, a different character, was later chosen for politeness, and its origin is connected to the idea of "approaching cautiously and respectfully," which fits the nuanced meaning of "to ask" or "to visit" in a humble way.