Prefixes
- お
- ご
The prefixes お (o-) and ご (go-) are used in Japanese to add politeness or refinement to nouns, with お- generally attached to words of Japanese origin (kun’yomi) and ご- attached to words of Chinese origin (on’yomi). While お- often appears in daily life terms like お茶 (tea) and お名前 (name), ご- is typically used for abstract or compound nouns like ご連絡 (communication) and ご家族 (family). These prefixes serve to elevate the listener’s status by referring to their belongings or actions, but they are never added to one’s own possessions to maintain humility.
Suffixes
- ます after a verb
- です after anything else
- ましょう to propose to do an action together