美化語 is the embellishment of words. 美化 means "beautification". 美化語, at its basic understanding, is making one's speech sound more refined. 美化語 elevates one's speech to a well-mannered style. Grammatically, it is neither 丁寧語 "polite speech" nor 敬語. However, it applies to 敬語 but is usually classified as 丁寧語. Several 美化語 phrases have come from traditional women's speech.
The honorific お- is generally added to words regardless of origin. Even foreign loanwords such as ズボン are used with お- in 美化語. Words like 勉強 can either be seen with お- or ご-. This is sure to cause more confusion. For most words, though, the general お- and ご- distinctions are maintained.
お- is used with native words and 和製語 (Sino-Japanese words made in Japan such as telephone). ご- is used only with Sino-Japanese words not used with お-. み-, おみ-, and おんみ- are used in words with religious or imperial importance.
| お庭 | Garden | お天気 | Weather |
| お飲み物 | Drinks | お菓子 | Sweets |
| お食事 | Meal | お店 | Store |
| お料理 | Cooking | ご祝儀 | Congratulatory gift |
| ご機嫌 | Mood | ご挨拶 | Greeting |
| ご結婚 | Marriage | ご連絡 | Contact |
When an honorific prefix is used, it may greatly alter the word.
| 飯（めし）⇒ご飯（はん） | Rice; meal |
| 汁（しる）⇒お汁（つゆ） | Soup; broth; dipping sauce* |
| 水⇒お冷 | Cold water |
| うまい⇒おいしい | Delicious |
| 便所⇒お手洗い | Lavatory |
*: This definition is specific to お汁.
Note: Other forms of 美化語 include anything that euphemizes a phrase. Another word for this is 雅語. Since they are hard to pinpoint, they will not be discussed. Dictionaries will label 雅語 with 雅.
丁寧語 utilizes more polite nouns rather than honorific prefixes. In women's speech, however, honorific prefixes are commonly attached to everyday words. In more respectful language, this gender restriction disappears and sentence patterns conform.
1. お水を飲んでください。(美化語)
Please drink water.
2a. お肉をお食べにならないほうがよろしいと思いますわ。(美化語)
2b. お肉をお食べにならないほうがよろしいかと思われます。（敬語）
2c. お肉をお食べにならないほうがよろしいでしょう。（敬語）
I think that it best not to eat meat.
3. ご協力を頂くために
In order to receive your (honorable) cooperation (敬語)
If you overuse 美化語, you may sound sarcastic and pretentious. Some words like おトイレ, おコーヒー, おタバコ may be seen in other settings and in the speech of older women. No single description can make a good generalization of when and when not to do this.
It is rare to see loan words take honorifics, but when they do they normally take お-, but some like おビール and おソース are more common. Also, it is imperative to use these suffixes in reference to things during tea ceremonies.
美化語 from Women's Speech
Lots of words with お- used to only be used by women but are now used by everyone.
| おかか | Finely chopped katsuobushi. | お欠き | Thin, dried, baked mochi |
| お菜（かず） | Side dish | おから | Tofu residue |
| お強（こわ） | Glutinous rice steamed with red beans | おじや | Rice gruel |
| おつけ | Soups | おでん | Oden |
| お腹（なか） | Stomach | おなら | Fart |
| お萩（はぎ） | Rice ball coated with red beans | おまる | Potty |
Some words are almost always accompanied with honorific prefixes while some are always used with them. To find out whether a noun has to have an honorific prefix, you should first see if a word can be looked up in a dictionary without the prefix. If a word is 美化語-sensitive, most dictionaries will tell you.
| Definition | Word | 仮名 | 美化語 | Always or Usually? |
| Hot water | 湯 | ゆ | お湯 | Usually |
| Tea | 茶 | お茶 | お茶 | Usually |
| Rice/meal | 飯 | はん | ご飯 | Always |
| Ghost | 化け | ばけ | お化け | Always |
| Flattery | 世辞 | せじ | お世辞 | Always |
| Stomach | 腹 | はら | お腹* | Always |
*: This word must have お- so it can be read as おなか.
4. お湯がこのボイラーから出ます。
The hot water comes out with this boiler.
5. その古い（お）城にはお化けが出るらしい。
It sounds like ghosts appear in that old castle.
6. お世辞を言う。
To give a compliment.
7. その（お）知らせを受け取らなかった。
I didn't receive that notice.
8. お節
Osechi (a food served during New Year's)
9. お節介はよせ。
Mind your own business.
10. お腹が痛い。
My stomach hurts.
11. 腹に一撃を食らう。
To receive a blow in the stomach.
12. 入浴後はお湯を流して捨てておいてください。
You must run the (hot) water off after taking a bath.
At times when an honorific prefix is attached to a word there is a change in meaning. There is usually always a reasonable relationship between the two.
| Meaning without お | Meaning with お | ||
| Eight | 八つ | Snack | おやつ |
| Child | 子 | God's son | み子 |
| Master | 主人 | Someone's husband | ご主人 |
| Family | 家族 | Someone's family | ご家族 |
| Fishing | 釣り | Change (coins) | お釣り |
| To squeeze | 絞る | Hand towel | お絞り |
Word Note: お絞り is an example of where an honorific prefix is added to 連用形 of a verb to refer to an object in relationship to the verb.
13. ８つある。
To have eight things.
14. おやつを持ってきた？
Did you bring a snack?
15. バナナはおやつに入りますか。
Are bananas in the snacks?
Culture Note: This is a cliche question that came about from a period when most schools did not allow snacks on field trips, and if they did, there was a 300 yen budget.
16. 釣りに行きたい。
I like to go fishing.
17. お釣りは結構です。
Keep the change.
18a. 彼女は主人づらをしている。
18b. 彼女は偉ぶっている。（More natural)
18c. 彼女は偉そうに振舞っている。（More natural)
She acts like the boss.
19. ご主人はお元気ですか。
Is your husband all right?