Saturday, April 30, 2011

Japanese keigo questions! I am so confused?

Question:


お休みに、先生がお書きになった絵をはいけんいたしました
おきゃくさま、おしゃしんをおとりいたします
There is 2 things I don’t get. First, how can you use humble and honorific in the same sentence? お休みに、先生がお書きになった絵をはいけんいたしました
Second thing, how do you know when to put お in front of a noun? Because in these sentences
お休みに、先生がお書きになった絵をはいけんいたしました
おきゃくさま、おしゃしんをおとりいたします
you put it in front of some but others you don’t. eg. You put it in front ofしゃしん but not in front of絵
I am so confused

Answer:


I can help you with the first part of your question.
You asked: "how can you use humble and honorific in the same sentence?"
If something (an action) refers to yourself you must use humble expressions. If the action refers to somebody else you must use a honorific expression.
For example: 先生がお書きになった絵をはいけんいたしました。
"O kaki ni natta" refers to "sensei", so you have to use the honorific expression. "Haiken shimashita" refers to yourself, so you must use the humble expression.

So, in the following sentences you must decide what refers to yourself and what refers to somebody else.
明日学校のきそくについて説明します
(Tomorrow, I will explain about the rules of the school.)
-> setsumei itashimasu.

夏、よくテレビでクリケットを見ます
-> haiken shimasu.

赤ワインを飲むのが好きだから、よくサウスオーストラリアに行きます
Aka wain wo itadaku no ga suki desu kara, yoku sausu oosutoraria ni mairimasu.

今日黄色いスカートをはいています.
-> haite orimasu.

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