謙譲語（けんじょうご、kenjougo）
- humble language

The word 謙譲語 (けんじょうご) refers to a type of polite Japanese speech used to show humility towards the listener. It's a key part of honorific language and involves using specific verbs and grammatical constructions to express that the speaker is lowering themselves and raising the status of the person they are addressing, or the person they are talking about. The goal is to show respect and deference.

⚫︎ 私は先生に手紙を書きました。 Translation: I wrote a letter to the teacher. ⚫︎ 私は先生に手紙を差し上げました。 Translation: I gave the letter to the teacher. (Using the 謙譲語 verb 差し上げました) ⚫︎ 部長はもうお帰りになりました。 Translation: The manager has already gone home. (Using the 謙譲語 form お帰りになりました to be respectful)

⚫︎ 謙譲語 is used primarily when the speaker is referring to their own actions or those of someone in their own in-group (e.g., family, company) that affect someone in the out-group (e.g., the listener, a customer, someone of higher status). ⚫︎ This form is used to lower the speaker or their in-group relative to the listener or the person being talked about. ⚫︎ Common situations include business settings, interactions with superiors, or any situation where showing respect is important.

⚫︎ The word 謙譲語 is typically written in kanji 謙譲語, with the reading in hiragana as けんじょうご. ⚫︎ There are no common variations in writing or okurigana.

⚫︎ Polite language ⚫︎ Humble language

⚫︎ 尊敬語 (そんけいご) - honorific language, used to elevate the person being spoken about. ⚫︎ 普通形 (ふつうけい) - plain form of Japanese verbs and grammar

私は社長に資料をお渡ししました。 ・Translation: I handed over the documents to the president. ・Explanation: お渡ししました is the 謙譲語 form of 渡す (to hand over), used to show respect to the president.

田中さんは昨日、会社を辞められました。 ・Translation: Mr. Tanaka resigned from the company yesterday. ・Explanation: Although this sentence refers to the speaker's own company, the use of the passive voice can also be used to be polite, and can be considered a kind of 謙譲語 when the person spoken about is someone of superior status or whom the speaker feels a certain deference to.

The word 謙譲語 is composed of the kanji 謙 (ken), meaning "humility" or "modesty," and 譲 (jō), meaning "to yield" or "to give way." The word 語 (go) means "language" or "word." Therefore, 謙譲語 literally means "humble language" or "language of yielding".