Meaning

お o- is an exalted prefix. It shows respect for the individual or object to whom it pertains. ご go- plays a similar role, being attached to a separate group of words as explained below. Both お o- and ご go- can be written as 御.

Translation

There is no equivalent in English. In translation it is either dropped, or (when appropriate) translated as your, etc.

Usage

お o- can be applied to nouns, na-adjectives, i-adjectives, and verbs.

Because お o is exalted, it is not used on or about the speaker. For example,

お元気(げんき)ですか。 O-genki desu ka?

is the formal way of asking "How are you." The normal response is

元気(げんき)です。 Genki desu.

In the first example, person A is exalting person B by placing the exalted prefix お o- in front of the word 元気(げんき) genki, which refers to person B's health. In the response, person B omits the お o- prefix because he does not wish to exalt himself.

Note that お o- is usually only applied to words of Japanese origin, and most Sino-Japanese words take the honorific prefix 御(ご) go- instead, as in 御主人(ごしゅじん) master/husband. (元気(げんき) genki is a notable exception.)

Examples

Words that commonly use お o- or 御(ご) go- include: