「～ていらっしゃる」- Honorific Form

Explanation

～ていらっしゃる is an honorific expression in Japanese used to describe someone else's actions or state politely. Its standard form is ～ている, such as 食べている (is eating). ～ていらっしゃる is the honorific version of 食べている, used to show respect and politeness toward the subject.

Grammar Pattern

Grammar Point	Connection	Explanation
～ていらっしゃる	Verb て-form + いらっしゃる	Used to show respect for someone else's actions or state, often to describe their behavior or politely inquire about their status.

Basic Usage

～ていらっしゃる is used to respectfully describe someone else's actions, primarily in the following scenarios:

• Describing someone else's actions or state.
• Politely inquiring about someone's actions or state.

Examples

• 彼かれは食事しょくじをしていらっしゃる。
• Kare wa shokuji o shite irassharu.
• He is eating.
  

• 先生せんせいは図書館としょかんで本ほんを読よんでいらっしゃる。
• Sensei wa toshokan de hon o yonde irassharu.
• The teacher is reading a book in the library.
  

Deep Dive

Basic Forms

～ていらっしゃる and its common forms include:

Form	Usage Example
です-form	～ていらっしゃいます Example: 食たべていらっしゃいます (is eating).
ですか-form	～ていらっしゃいますか Example: 食たべていらっしゃいますか (Are you eating?).
ました-form	～ていらっしゃいました Example: 食たべていらっしゃいました (was eating).

Usage Scenarios for Honorifics

• Polite expressions toward superiors, elders, or strangers.
• Describing someone's behavior in formal or business settings.

Common Mistakes

• Mistake 1: Using ～ていらっしゃる to describe one's own actions.
• Correct usage: Use ～ている to describe oneself.
• Mistake 2: Confusing ～ていらっしゃる and ～ておいでになる.
• ～ていらっしゃる is for everyday use, while ～ておいでになる is more formal.

Real-Life Scenarios

• In a business meeting, using ～ていらっしゃる to ask about a superior's status:
• 社長しゃちょうは今いま何なにをしていらっしゃいますか？
• Shachou wa ima nani o shite irasshaimasu ka?
• What is the president doing now?
  

• In a formal setting, describing a professor's actions:
• 教授きょうじゅは講義こうぎをしていらっしゃいます。
• Kyouju wa kougi o shite irasshaimasu.
• The professor is giving a lecture.
  

Summary

～ていらっしゃる is one of the commonly used honorific forms in Japanese, primarily used to politely describe someone else's actions or state. Mastering this expression not only improves your Japanese proficiency but also helps you show respect and politeness in real-life conversations. With practice, you can use it naturally in appropriate situations.