Home›Lesson Plans›World Languages›Japanese · Grade 9

Japanese Politeness Levels

Ninth graders learn that Japanese has different levels of politeness — a casual (plain) form for friends and family, and a polite 〜ます／です form for teachers, strangers, and formal situations. Knowing which to use is a key cultural skill.

Grade 9Politeness Levels55 minutes1 class periodACTFL / World LanguagesExplicit teaching4 StandardsACTFL
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain politeness levels.
  • ✓Tell casual from polite.
  • ✓Sort the forms.
  • ✓Choose the right level.
Essential Question

Japanese changes based on WHO you’re talking to. How do casual and polite speech differ — and when do you use each?

0
Lesson Phases
0
Vocabulary Terms
0
Standards Aligned
0
Interactive Task
Sort It · Interactive

Casual or Polite?

Project this and sort each into Casual (plain) or Polite (-masu/desu) speech.

🙇 Sort each — casual or polite speech?Try it
🗣️ Casual (with friends)
🙇 Polite (-masu / desu)
Tap a form, then tap a box.
The Lesson · Language Flow (Warm-Up · Present · Practice · Speak · Reflect)

55 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Warm-Up — Who Are You Talking To?

6 min

Japanese changes based on WHO you talk to — how do casual and polite differ?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show taberu vs tabemasu.
  • Ask which is polite.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Present — Politeness Levels

13 min

Students learn.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Casual or Polite?
  • Sort each one.
  • Note when to use each.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sort.
  • Say.
  • Note it.
3

Practice — Practice

15 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Give the polite form of taberu.
  • Give a casual reply.
  • Explain when to use each.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Give it.
  • Give it.
  • Explain.
4

Speak — Speak

15 min

Students speak.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Speak politely to a “teacher.”
  • Speak casually to a “friend.”
  • Switch levels.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Speak.
  • Speak.
  • Switch.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Give a polite verb.
  • Say when to be polite.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Give one.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the ACTFL World-Readiness Standards for Learning Languages (Intermediate-Low).

ACTFL
Cultures 2.1

Explore politeness & respect.

ACTFL
Comparisons 4.1

Compare speech registers.

ACTFL
Communication 1.1

Interpersonal: adjust politeness.

ACTFL
Communities 5.1

Interact respectfully.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Casual/polite pair cards.
  • Sentence frame: “polite: ___masu.”
  • Model both levels.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with taberu/tabemasu.
  • Sort one at a time.
  • Use examples.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Introduce keigo (honorific).
  • Role-play formal vs casual.
  • Convert a dialogue.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🙇Speech-level cards
  • 💻Casual or Polite?
  • 🗣️Role-play cards
  • ✏️Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

ていねいご (teineigo)polite speechくだけた (kudaketa)casual speech〜ます (-masu)polite verb endingです (desu)polite “is”プレーン (purēn)plain formけいご (keigo)honorific speechそんけい (sonkei)respectばめん (bamen)situation
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
Name one polite verb ending in Japanese.
〜ます (-masu), like tabemasu.
QUESTION 2
When do you use polite (-masu/desu) speech?
With teachers, strangers, and in formal situations.
QUESTION 3
When is casual (plain) speech okay?
With close friends and family.

Reflect: politeness levels.

Have students give the polite form of a verb and say when they’d use it. A printable Japanese politeness sheet is in the World Languages library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Japanese Politeness LevelsFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
0

Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Japanese Politeness LevelsQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Japanese Politeness LevelsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: 〜ます (-masu), くだけた (kudaketa), けいご (keigo), そんけい (sonkei), ていねいご (teineigo), です (desu), ばめん (bamen), プレーン (purēn)
  1. polite “is”
  2. casual speech
  3. plain form
  4. polite speech
  5. situation
  6. polite verb ending
  7. honorific speech
  8. respect

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Name one polite verb ending in Japanese.
  2. When do you use polite (-masu/desu) speech?
  3. When is casual (plain) speech okay?
Answer key — Part A: 1) です (desu) · 2) くだけた (kudaketa) · 3) プレーン (purēn) · 4) ていねいご (teineigo) · 5) ばめん (bamen) · 6) 〜ます (-masu) · 7) けいご (keigo) · 8) そんけい (sonkei)
Part B: 1) 〜ます (-masu), like tabemasu. 2) With teachers, strangers, and in formal situations. 3) With close friends and family.