Posted inN4 Grammar

Mastering いたします: The Humble Way to Say “I Do” in Japanese (JLPT N4)

Posted inN4 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

いたします (itashimasu) is the humble form of the verb する (suru), which means “to do”.

🎯 Primary Function

Its primary function is to express the speaker’s own actions in a humble manner towards a listener or recipient, showing respect to them.

📋 Grammar Structure

Noun/Phrase + いたします OR いたします (as the humble form of する)

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Frequently used in business settings, customer service, formal meetings, and when speaking to superiors, clients, or people of higher status.

😊 Informal Situations

Rarely used. Using いたします in casual conversation with friends or family would sound overly stiff, unnatural, and potentially condescending.

✍️ Written Language

Common in formal letters, emails, reports, official documents, and formal announcements.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Widely used in formal conversations, business interactions, public speaking, and polite service industries.

💡 Common Applications

Offering service or help
Used when offering to do something for someone, particularly a customer or superior.
Example: 何かお手伝いいたしましょうか。(Nanika o-tetsudai itashimashō ka.) – Shall I help you with something?
Reporting or contacting
Used when informing or contacting a superior or client about one’s own action.
Example: 後ほどご連絡いたします。(Nochihodo go-renraku itashimasu.) – I will contact you later.
Performing a task on behalf of others
Used when stating that one will perform a duty or task, often in a professional context.
Example: 本日は私が担当いたします。(Honjitsu wa watashi ga tantō itashimasu.) – I will be in charge today.
📊
Frequency
Very frequent in formal and business contexts, less frequent in casual everyday life.
🎚️
Difficulty
Moderate. Understanding the nuance between いたします and other polite/humble forms requires practice and contextual awareness.
Example Sentences
後ほど、詳しい資料をお送りいたします。
I will send the detailed materials later (humbly).
ご質問がございましたら、私に直接ご連絡ください。すぐに回答いたします。
If you have any questions, please contact me directly. I will answer immediately (humbly).
明日の会議の準備は私がいたします。
I will do the preparation for tomorrow’s meeting (humbly).
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Used for the speaker’s actions only
いたします is a humble expression used exclusively to describe an action performed by the speaker or someone within their in-group (e.g., their company).
Example: お客様がご利用いたします (Incorrect) vs. お客様がご利用になります (Correct – Honorific) 私が利用いたします (Correct – Humble)
Shows respect to the listener/recipient
By humbling oneself, the speaker elevates the status of the listener or the person affected by the action, thus showing respect.
Example: 社長にご報告いたします。(Shachō ni go-hōkoku itashimasu.) – I will report to the president (humbly showing respect to the president).

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using いたします for actions of others (superiors or equals)
✅ Use honorific forms (e.g., なさいます) or polite forms (e.g., します) for others’ actions.
いたします is humble language for the speaker’s actions, not honorific language for others’ actions.
❌ Using いたします in very casual situations
✅ Use plain forms (e.g., するよ) or standard polite forms (e.g., します).
いたします sounds overly formal and unnatural in casual conversation.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: High (謙譲語 – Kenjōgo, Humble Language)
Social Situations: Essential in hierarchical relationships (employee to boss, junior to senior) and service-provider to customer interactions.
Regional Variations: Standard Japanese keigo, widely understood and used in formal contexts nationwide.

🔍 Subtle Differences

いたします vs. します
いたします is the humble form, します is the plain polite form.
When to use: Use いたします when humbling your action towards the listener/recipient. Use します for general polite descriptions of actions (yours or others’) when humility isn’t specifically required.
いたします vs. させていただきます
いたします simply states the action humbly. させていただきます adds nuances of receiving permission or benefit from doing the action for someone else.
When to use: Use いたします for a straightforward humble statement of doing. Use させていただきます when the action is done with permission or results in a benefit to the listener/affected party (and you are humbling yourself for performing it).
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📝 Conjugation Notes

いたします is the humble form of する (suru). It conjugates like a regular ます-form verb: – Present/Future Affirmative: いたします – Present/Future Negative: いたしません – Past Affirmative: いたしました – Past Negative: いたしませんでした – Volitional: いたしましょう

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Pronounced “i-ta-shi-ma-su”. Make sure to pronounce each syllable clearly. The “i” is short, and the “u” at the end of -masu is often devoiced, sounding more like “mas”.

🧠 Memory Tips

Remember that いたします is the humble partner to する. Think of it as “humbly I do”. It replaces します when you need to lower yourself to raise the listener.

Practice Exercises
Choose the most appropriate humble form for “I will call (the company)”.
会社に電話します。
会社に電話いたします。
会社に電話なさいます。
会社に電話してもらいます。
Which sentence correctly uses いたします?
先生が説明いたします。
友達を手伝いいたします。
来週、出張いたします。
この本を読みいたします。
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