お / ご

The prefixes お and ご are honorific markers attached to the beginning of nouns, adjectives, and some verbs to add politeness, respect, or elegance to speech. They are among the most fundamental elements of Japanese keigo (polite language).

When to use お vs. ご

As a general rule:

• お is used with native Japanese words (和語): おなまえお名前、おみずお水、おてがみ手紙、おいそがしい忙しい
• ご is used with Sino-Japanese words (漢語): ごじゅうしょ住所、ごかぞく家族、ごれんらくご連絡、ごていねいご丁寧

There are notable exceptions, such as おでんわお電話、おりょうり料理、おしょくじ食事、おへんじお返事, which use お despite being Sino-Japanese words.

Common uses

Showing respect toward others

When referring to things that belong to or relate to someone else (especially someone of higher status), お / ご expresses respect.

Making speech more polite and refined

お / ご can be used simply to make one's speech sound more polite or elegant, regardless of who the item belongs to.

Words that always use お / ご

Some words have become inseparable from their prefix and are almost always used with お or ご, even in casual speech: おちゃお茶 (tea)、おかねお金 (money)、おかしお菓子 (sweets)、おふろお風呂 (bath)、ごはんご飯 (rice/meal)

These are no longer felt as "polite" but are simply the standard way to say the word.

When NOT to use お / ご

• Generally not used with foreign loanwords (カタカナ語): ✗ おコーヒー (though rare exceptions like おトイレ exist in some dialects)
• Not used when referring to your own things in a formal context, as it can sound self-aggrandizing. For example, when humbly referring to your own family, you would say かぞく家族 rather than ごかぞく家族.