召し上がります・おっしゃいますmeshiagarimasu / osshaimasu
Meshiagarimasu / osshaimasu (召し上がります・おっしゃいます) means “special honorific verbs”.
To eat/drink (Honorific)
Use 「召し上がります・おっしゃいます」 for another person’s eating, drinking, or speaking respectfully.
In the course
How it works
When describing the actions of a teacher, a superior, or someone similar, use special verbs to show respect for the person doing the action.
The teacher in the picture is eating or drinking tea. Both actions can be expressed with 「召し上がります」.
First check who is eating or drinking. Do not use 「召し上がります」 for your own actions.
To say respectfully that someone else says something, replace 「言います」 with 「おっしゃいます」.
The employee still uses honorific language when reporting the company president’s words. The respect is for the president who originally spoke.
「3時だと」 introduces what the president said. 「と」 links that content to the act of saying it.
For something the president has already said, use 「おっしゃいました」. The past-tense ending becomes 「ました」.
Example sentences
- 召し上がります（meshiagarimasu食べます・tabemasu飲みます）nomimasu
To eat/drink (Honorific)
- おっしゃいます（osshaimasu言います）iimasu
To say (Honorific)
In a conversation
- A社長は何とおっしゃいましたか。
A: What did the president say?
- B明日の会議は 3 時だ
Check yourself
Level 0 · Conjugate
Change to the special honorific verb to show respect. 特別な尊敬語
先生は昼食を（食べます）。
Level 1 · Recognise
Which sentence is correct?
Level 1 · Recognise
Listen and choose the meaning
Level 2 · Build
Put the words in order
The president had Chinese food.
Level 3 · Use
What goes in the blank?
社長は中華料理を （召し上がる・丁寧に・過去）。
The president had Chinese cuisine.
More grammar in this theme
- 召し上がります・おっしゃいますspecial honorific verbs