おっしゃる

To Say (Honorific)

Level 3Sounds Like ossharu

おっしゃる is the honorific (sonkeigo) equivalent of 言う（いう）. It is used to describe the speech of someone you respect, such as a boss, teacher, or customer. While usually written in hiragana, you may also see it written with the kanji 仰る.

How It Works

おっしゃる is a cornerstone of honorific Japanese. It is used exclusively for the actions of others, never for yourself (for your own actions, use the humble equivalent 申す, or 申し上げる（もうしあげる） when the action of speaking is directed to or for the benefit of a superior). Because the special verb おっしゃる exists, it blocks the standard honorific formula お + [stem] + になる. Therefore, お言いになる（おいいになる） is incorrect and should never be used.

1. Conjugation Irregularity
おっしゃる belongs to the 'Special Five' honorific verbs (along with いらっしゃる, くださる, なさる, and ござる) that have an irregular ます form. Instead of the expected おっしゃります, the り becomes い, resulting in おっしゃいます. Additionally, its imperative form is also irregular, becoming おっしゃい instead of おっしゃれ. However, be careful: the bare imperative おっしゃい lacks respect and is often used in older, casual female speech. To ask a superior to speak, you must use おっしゃってください. Note that its て form and た form conjugate regularly like normal う-verbs (e.g., おっしゃって, おっしゃった).

2. Respect Levels
While you can also use the honorific passive form 言われる（いわれる） to show respect, おっしゃる provides a higher level of respect and is preferred in formal business or professional settings.

3. Asking for Names
In polite everyday situations, おっしゃる is a common way to ask for someone's name. Instead of using 何 with 言う（いう）, you use the phrase お名前は何とおっしゃいますか (What is your name?). However, in strict business or highly formal contexts, asking directly is often considered too blunt, and a humble request like お名前をお伺いしてもよろしいでしょうか（おなまえをおうかがいしてもよろしいでしょうか） is more standard.

4. Common Set Phrases
A very common phrase is おっしゃる通りです（おっしゃるとおりです）, which means 'It is exactly as you say.' This is a highly professional way to agree with a superior.

5. Quoting Speech
Just like 言う（いう）, おっしゃる takes the quoting particle と when relaying what someone said. Note that in business settings, it is highly common to use the continuous state (〜とおっしゃっています or おっしゃっていました) to mean 'The boss says' or 'has said', reflecting an ongoing stance or recent instruction (e.g., 社長は明日行くとおっしゃっていました).

Examples (3)

  1. 先生は何とおっしゃいましたか。

    What did the teacher say?

    Word by Word: Teacher (topic) what (quotation) said (honorific)?

    This uses the polite past form おっしゃいました to ask about a teacher's words respectfully.

  2. 社長がおっしゃる通り、準備が必要です。

    Just as the president says, preparation is necessary.

    Word by Word: Company president (subject) says (honorific) way, preparation (subject) necessary is.

    おっしゃる通り is a standard expression used to agree with a superior's opinion.

  3. お客様がおっしゃったことは本当です。

    What the customer said is true.

    Word by Word: Customer (subject) said (honorific) thing (topic) truth is.

    In the service industry, customers' actions are always described using honorifics like おっしゃる.

Common Mistakes

  • Using おっしゃる for your own speech.

    私は田中とおっしゃいます。
    私は田中と申します。

    おっしゃる is for others. To talk about yourself respectfully, you must use the humble verb 申す.

  • Using the logical but incorrect おっしゃります conjugation.

    先生がおっしゃります。
    先生がおっしゃいます。

    For the five special honorific verbs, the expected 〜ります changes to 〜います in the polite form. The り sound becomes い.

  • Using a 'Double Honorific' (二重敬語).

    社長がおっしゃられました。
    社長がおっしゃいました。

    Since おっしゃる is already a special honorific verb, adding the honorific passive suffix 〜られる is redundant and considered incorrect Japanese.

How It Connects

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おっしゃるLevel 3To Say (Honorific)

Learn This First

To understand 'おっしゃる', a learner needs to be familiar with the basic verb '言う' (to say) and the social context of Japanese honorifics (Keigo). Additionally, because 'おっしゃる' has a slightly irregular conjugation in its polite form (おっしゃいます), familiarity with the 'ます' form is necessary.

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