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JAPANESE VERB

おっしゃる

to say, respectfully

  • #490 most used
  • Godan verb (u-verb)

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present and future

now, habits, and what is to come

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI say
NegativeI don’t say

Past

finished actions

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI said
NegativeI didn’t say

Te-form

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

Form Polite Plain
て-formsaying, and…
Doing now (て います)I am saying
Please (て ください)please say

Potential

可能形 · “can”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI can say
NegativeI can’t say

Want to

たい形 · “want to”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI want to say
NegativeI don’t want to say

Volitional

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form Polite Plain
Let’slet’s say

Conditional

条件形 · “if” and “when”

  1. If (ば) if I say
  2. If, when (たら) if I say

Commands and requests

命令形 · from gentle to blunt

  1. Do it (なさい) say (do it)
  2. Plain command say!
  3. Please don’t please don’t say

Passive and causative

受身形・使役形 · “is done”, “make someone do”

Form Polite Plain
PassiveI am said
CausativeI make someone say

How to use おっしゃる

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present and future

    せんせい は いつも そう おっしゃいます。

    The teacher always says so.

  2. Past

    しゃちょう は なん と おっしゃいました か。

    What did the president say?

  3. Te-form

    ぶちょう は あした くる と おっしゃって いました。

    The department head said he's coming tomorrow.

  4. Potential

    せんせい の おっしゃった とおり に できました。

    I managed to do it just as the teacher said.

  5. Want to

    おっしゃる こと を、 もっと ききたい です。

    I'd like to hear more of what you have to say.

  6. Volitional

    せんせい が おっしゃった ほん を、 よんで みよう。

    Let's try reading the book the teacher mentioned.

  7. Conditional

    しゃちょう が そう おっしゃれば、 だれ も はんたい しません。

    If the president says so, no one will object.

  8. Commands and requests

    そんな こと、 おっしゃらないで ください。

    Please don't say that.

  9. Passive and causative

    せんせい が おっしゃった こと は、 みんな に つたえられた。

    What the teacher said was passed on to everyone.

Good to know

  • おっしゃる is いう said of someone above you: せんせい が おっしゃいました; for your own words, say いう or もうす.
  • The ます-form is おっしゃいます, not おっしゃります.
  • Nobody wants to or is made to おっしゃる, so the potential, want, volitional and passive sentences show it beside another verb.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: godan verb (u-verb).