Posted inN4 Grammar

Mastering いらっしゃる: A Key Honorific Verb for JLPT N4

Posted inN4 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

An honorific verb used to show respect towards the subject of the sentence. It serves as the honorific equivalent of いる (to be/exist), 来る (to come), and 行く (to go).

🎯 Primary Function

To elevate the status or show respect to the person performing the action (being, coming, or going).

📋 Grammar Structure

[Subject (respected person)] は/が … いらっしゃる (basic form) [Subject (respected person)] は/が … いらっしゃいます (polite form) [Subject (respected person)] は/が … いらっしゃいました (polite past form)

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Very common and necessary when speaking to or about superiors, teachers, customers, or people of higher status.

😊 Informal Situations

Generally not used. Using honorifics in informal settings with friends or family can sound unnatural or overly stiff.

✍️ Written Language

Used in formal letters, emails, and official documents when referring to the actions of a respected person.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Extremely common in business, customer service, and interactions where politeness and respect are required.

💡 Common Applications

Asking about someone’s presence (いる).
Used to respectfully ask if someone is present.
Example: 先生は研究室にいらっしゃいますか。 (Sensei wa kenkyūshitsu ni irasshaimasu ka?) – Is the teacher in the laboratory?
Referring to someone’s arrival (来る).
Used to respectfully state or ask if someone has come or will come.
Example: お客様がもうすぐいらっしゃる予定です。 (Okyakusama ga mōsugu irassharu yotei desu.) – The customer is scheduled to arrive soon.
Referring to someone’s departure or going somewhere (行く).
Used to respectfully state or ask if someone has gone or will go somewhere.
Example: 社長はどちらにいらっしゃいましたか。 (Shachō wa dochira ni irasshaimashita ka?) – Where did the president go?
📊
Frequency
High in formal and business settings. Essential for polite communication.
🎚️
Difficulty
Moderate (N4). Understanding which base verb it replaces and appropriate contexts requires practice.
Example Sentences
田中先生は会議室にいらっしゃいます。
Professor Tanaka is in the meeting room (honorific).
部長はもうお帰りになりましたか、それともまだ会社にいらっしゃいますか。
Has the department manager already gone home, or are they still at the office (honorific)?
お客様は何時にいらっしゃいますか？
What time will the customer arrive (honorific)?
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Used for the subject
いらっしゃる is used to elevate the person performing the action (the subject), not the object or the listener (unless the listener is also the subject).
Example: 社長は来週中国にいらっしゃいます。(Correct – refers to the president going to China). 私は先生にいらっしゃいました。(Incorrect – cannot use for oneself or as an action towards the teacher).
Replaces three verbs
Remember that いらっしゃる can mean “to be,” “to come,” or “to go.” The meaning is determined by the context.
Example: 先生、どこにいらっしゃいますか？ (Where are you, Teacher?) – Here, it means いる. お客様がいらっしゃいました。(The customer has come/arrived) – Here, it means 来る. 社長は今、大阪にいらっしゃいます。(The president is currently in Osaka) – Here, it means いる (or sometimes 行っている depending on context).

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using it for oneself.
✅ Use the humble form (謙譲語 – Kenjougo) or the plain/polite form (丁寧語 – Teineigo) for yourself, depending on the situation.
Honorific language (尊敬語 – Sonkeigo) elevates the *other* person. Humble language (謙譲語) lowers oneself to show respect to the other person. Polite language (丁寧語) simply shows general politeness.
❌ Confusing it with similar-sounding words.
✅ Pay attention to pronunciation and context to distinguish it from words like “いらっしゃいませ” (welcome).
“いらっしゃいませ” is a set phrase used to welcome customers, derived from いらっしゃる but used differently.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: High. This is a core honorific verb (尊敬語) used for superiors, customers, and guests.
Social Situations: Used when talking to or about people you need to show a high level of respect towards, such as in business, service industries, or when addressing teachers or seniors.
Regional Variations: The usage of standard honorifics like いらっしゃる is widespread across Japan, although specific regional dialects may have their own honorific forms or nuances.

🔍 Subtle Differences

いらっしゃる vs. います
いらっしゃる is the honorific form, います is the plain/polite form.
When to use: Use いらっしゃる for someone you need to show respect to (e.g., teacher, boss, customer). Use います for equals, juniors, or yourself (when being polite but not humble).
いらっしゃる vs. おいでになる
Both are honorific for 来る/行く/いる. おいでになる is also honorific, sometimes considered slightly less common or slightly softer depending on the region/situation, though usage varies.
When to use: Both are generally interchangeable at the N4 level, but いらっしゃる is extremely common. Focus on mastering いらっしゃる first.
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📝 Conjugation Notes

The most common form is the ます form: いらっしゃいます. Past polite: いらっしゃいました. Negative polite: いらっしゃいません. Te form: いらっしゃって. Other forms exist but are less common at N4.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

The stress is relatively flat across “i-ra-ssha-ru”. Practice saying “irasshaimasu” smoothly.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of “いらっしゃる” as the “VIP verb” – you use it for important people who are “being,” “coming,” or “going.”

Practice Exercises
社長は今、部屋に＿＿＿か？ (Is the president in the room now?)
います
おります
いらっしゃいます
あります
先生は昨日、学校に＿＿＿。 (The teacher came to school yesterday.)
来ました
参りました
いらっしゃいました
行きました
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