O shimasu (おします) is a humble form of the Japanese verb suru (する) meaning “to do”. It is used to express politeness and humility when talking about actions that the speaker themselves will carry out. O shimasu is commonly used in Japanese business and customer service settings as a way to be polite and show respect to the listener.
The Meaning of O Shimasu
The “o” (お) prefix makes the verb more polite and humble. Shimasu (します) is the masu (ます) form of suru (する) which makes a verb more polite. So o shimasu literally means “humbly do”.
Some examples of o shimasu being used in sentences are:
- Sore o shimasu – I will humbly do that
- Go-annai o shimasu – I will humbly give you directions
- O-tsukaresama deshita – You humbly worked hard (phrase used when leaving work)
So in summary, o shimasu is used to politely and humbly express that the speaker themselves will carry out an action.
When is O Shimasu Used?
Here are some of the main situations where o shimasu is commonly used in Japanese:
Customer Service
In customer service settings like stores, restaurants, hotels, etc, staff will use o shimasu to politely offer assistance to customers. For example:
- O-matase shimashita. Irasshaimase. – Thank you for waiting. Welcome.
- O-dekake ni narimasu. – I will humbly take your order.
- Sono o-kane o kaeshimasu. – I will humbly give you change.
Business Meetings
In Japanese business culture, using polite and humble language is very important. O shimasu allows speakers to politely offer to carry out actions without sounding too assertive or imposing on the listener. For example:
- Shussan o shimasu – I will humbly produce this (product).
- Settei o shimasu – I will humbly make adjustments.
- Hōkoku o shimasu – I will humbly report.
Communicating with Superiors
When speaking with superiors in a work hierarchy or senpai-kōhai relationship, using o shimasu shows proper humility and respect. For example:
- Shiken o ukagaimasu – I will humbly take the exam.
- O-sōji o shimasu – I will humbly clean.
- O-tsukare sama deshita – You humbly worked hard (said when superior leaves work)
Emails/Messages
In written communication like emails, o shimasu is commonly used to politely tell the recipient that the sender will take a certain action. For example:
- Sōdan o mōshiagemasu – I will humbly consult with you.
- Shōkai shimasu – I will humbly introduce…
- O-denwa o itashimasu – I will humbly call you.
O Shimasu Grammar
The o shimasu form follows a set grammatical pattern:
- O – (お) humble prefix
- Verb stem – Add the verb in its plain “dictionary” form
- Shimasu – (します) the polite masu form of suru (to do)
For example, with the verb “to eat” taberu (食べる):
- O – (お) humble prefix
- Tabe – (食べ) verb stem of taberu (to eat)
- Shimasu – (します) polite form
Which forms o tabe shimasu (お食べします) – “I will humbly eat”
Other Polite “Shimasu” Verbs
O shimasu uses the polite masu form, but there are other common polite verbs that use shimasu:
- O-negai shimasu – to humbly request/ask
- O-tsutae shimasu – to humbly tell/inform
- O-ukagai shimasu – to humbly receive
- O-machidosama shimasu – to humbly wait
So shimasu can attach to many verb stems to create polite and humble verbs.
Difference from “Itashimasu”
Another polite and humble verb that is good to compare with o shimasu is itashimasu (いたします). While o shimasu and itashimasu can sometimes be used interchangeably, there are some differences:
- O shimasu is more direct, while itashimasu is more reserved and indirect.
- Itashimasu implies giving/receiving from another person. O shimasu just means “humbly doing” an action oneself.
- Itashimasu tends to be even more polite than o shimasu.
For example, at a restaurant you could say to a customer:
- O-dekake o ukagaimasu. – I will humbly take your order.
- Gochumon o o-mochi itashimasu. – I will humbly receive your order.
So while o shimasu and itashimasu can sometimes substitute for each other, o shimasu focuses more directly on the speaker’s own polite/humble action.
Conclusion
In summary, o shimasu is formed by adding the o (お) humble prefix and shimasu (します) polite verb ending to a verb stem. It allows speakers to politely and humbly state that they themselves will carry out an action. O shimasu is very commonly used in Japanese customer service, business, and formal situations where politeness matters. It provides an important linguistic tool for humble communication in Japanese culture.