Grammar › Politeness › お・ご
お・ご
The little prefix that makes a word politer — or just prettier. お and ご are two readings of one character (御), and which one you use follows the word underneath.
The short version
お and ご are the same kanji 御 read two ways. The rule of thumb: お goes on native (kun-reading) words, ご on Sino-Japanese (on-reading) words — the ones built from Chinese roots. They add respect (about someone else's things) or simply "beautify" a word (bikago).
お + a native word
Everyday native nouns take お. Often it's pure beautification — 茶 is just "tea", but お茶 is how people actually say it.
ご + a Sino word
Two-kanji, on-reading words — the kind you'd meet in formal writing — take ご, especially when they're about the other person.
When the prefix has fused in
Some words now feel incomplete without the prefix — the honorific has fused into the word itself. ご飯 ("cooked rice / a meal") is one: it keeps ご even in the most casual talk.
Watch out
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