お / ご

お / ご are prefixes used to make words polite and show respect.

🔹 Basic Meaning

• polite / respectful form
• used before some nouns and verbs

🔹 When to use お / ご

• To speak politely to customers, guests, or superiors
• Often used for other people’s things or actions
• Common in shops, restaurants, and formal situations
• Not used with every word (some words are fixed)

🔹 Simple Examples

お水
→ water (polite)

お名前
→ name (polite)

ご家族
→ family (polite)

ご注文
→ order (polite)

お待ちください。
→ Please wait.

🔹 Important Notes (N5)

Generally:
お is used with Japanese words,
ご is used with Sino-Japanese (Chinese-based) words.

Some words are fixed and must be memorized (e.g. お茶, お金, ご飯).

⭐ The Grammar Summary

• お / ご = polite prefixes
• Used to show respect or politeness
• Common in everyday polite Japanese (N5)