The kanji 御 primarily conveys the meanings of "honorific," "respect," "to make something beautiful," "imperial," or "government-related." It often serves as a prefix to express politeness, respect, or formality, especially when addressing someone or something of higher status. It can also indicate something belonging to the imperial family or government.

・On-yomi (音読み): ギョ (gyo) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): お (o)

⚫︎ 御手洗 Translation: restroom/lavatory (polite) ⚫︎ 御社 Translation: your company (polite) ⚫︎ 御飯 Translation: cooked rice/meal (polite)

The kanji 御 is a 形声文字 (keisei moji), a phono-semantic compound character. It is composed of the radical 彳 (gyō, meaning "walking") and the phonetic component 卸 (sha, meaning "to unload"). Originally, the character represented a carriage or a vehicle for the emperor. Over time, it developed the meaning of "imperial" or "government-related" because it was associated with the emperor's transport. The meaning of "honorific" and "respect" also evolved from its use in expressing reverence for the emperor and his belongings.