お〜になる
JLPT N4:honorific
A respectful way to describe what someone of higher status does, used in polite and business speech.
How to form it
Examples
社長はもうお帰りになりました。
The company president has already gone home.
先生がお話しになっています。
The professor is speaking.
Common mistakes
- Using it about yourself. For your own actions, use humble お〜する.
Similar meaning
- お〜するhumble
Humble: lowers yourself when you do something for someone.
- 〜れる / 〜られるlight honorific
Another honorific, れる・られる; lighter in tone.
- 尊敬語special honorific verbs
Special honorific verbs like いらっしゃる and 召し上がる.