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JLPT N4Honorific Language

いたします(いたす) — The Humble する (kenjōgo)

The humble (kenjōgo) form of する (to do). Used exclusively to lower YOUR OWN actions, showing respect to the listener — roughly 'I humbly do [action].'

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A short lesson: the pattern, its sentence anatomy, a quick quiz and a sentence to build.

Pro lessonUNIT 20 · HONORIFIC LANGUAGE

Structure · 形

[Suru-noun / お+verb-stem] + いたします

Examples · 例文

  • 私が確認いたします。

    Watakushi ga kakunin itashimasu.

    I will confirm it (humbly).

    確認します → 確認いたします

  • よろしくお願いいたします。

    Yoroshiku onegai itashimasu.

    I humbly ask for your kind support.

    お願い (request) + いたします (humbly do)

  • お手伝いいたしましょうか。

    Otetsudai itashimashō ka.

    Shall I assist you?

    Humble offer of assistance

Usage notes · 注意

  • The Golden Humble Rule: you cannot use humble verbs for someone else's actions. Saying to your boss "確認いたしますか？" implies the boss is beneath you — use the respectful なさいますか instead.
  • Noun attachments: almost any suru-verb becomes humble by replacing する with いたします (連絡する → 連絡いたします = I will humbly contact you).

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones いたします is tested against.

vsなさる (respectful する)

いたす lowers YOUR action (self); なさる raises the LISTENER's action (社長がなさる). Same verb する, opposite direction of respect.

vsします (plain polite)

します is ordinary polite for anyone's action. いたします is one level more humble and is used only for your own actions toward a respected listener.

More honorific language

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