Japanese Honorific Prefixes: お and ご (御)
The honorific prefix 御 reads as お before native Japanese words and ご before Sino-Japanese (Chinese-origin) words. Learning this single rule explains 90% of Japanese honorific prefix usage.
お vs ご: the core rule
お attaches to native Japanese (和語, wago) nouns and verb stems. ご attaches to Sino-Japanese (漢語, kango) nouns — words built from Chinese-origin compounds. When in doubt: short, one-kanji everyday words → お; two-kanji compound nouns → ご.
Common お-words
These words almost always take お regardless of context. Many have become fixed forms where dropping お sounds rude or unnatural.
Common ご-words
ご attaches to most two-kanji Sino-Japanese nouns, especially in formal and business contexts.
Exceptions and fixed forms
Some words break the rule through historical usage. A few common exceptions to memorize.
Common mistakes
ごお名前 / おご家族
Rightお名前 / ご家族
The prefix is either お or ご, never combined. Each noun takes one fixed prefix.
Dropping the prefix in formal speech: 名前を教えてください
Rightお名前を教えていただけますか
In service, business, and formal contexts, honorific お/ご on nouns addressing the listener is expected. Dropping it sounds abrupt.
Using お/ご on your own actions: お電話しました
Rightお電話いたしました (humble) or 電話しました (plain)
お/ご can prefix your own actions in humble (謙譲語) forms: お電話する → お電話いたします. This is correct. But the humble version requires いたします, not します, in formal contexts.
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What is the rule for using お vs ご in Japanese?
お (o) attaches to native Japanese (和語) words; ご (go) attaches to Sino-Japanese (漢語) compound words. Practical shortcut: everyday single-concept words (名前, 水, 茶) → お; two-kanji formal compound nouns (連絡, 確認, 予約) → ご. Exceptions exist but this rule covers ~90% of cases.
Can I use お and ご on my own belongings?
Generally no for your own things — adding お/ご to your own nouns can sound arrogant since these prefixes express respect toward the listener's items or actions. Say 私の名前 not お名前 when referring to yourself. However, when using humble verb forms (謙譲語), お/ご + verb + する/いたす is standard: お電話いたします (I humbly call).
Is お金 (money) always written with お?
Yes, お金 (okane) has a fixed honorific prefix that is so entrenched it has become the standard form. Saying just 金 (kane) for "money" in conversation sounds rough or overly blunt. The お here is no longer perceived as an active honorific — it is simply part of the word.