Page 463 - Basic Japanese

Alternative: -mashitari (10.5) Gerund: -mashite
Conditional: -mashitara

You may also encounter deshite, a polite gerund for the

copula ‘is and’:

“Sukī-ō” to yobareta hito deshite, Kansai ni hajimete

sukī-jō o hiraita hito deshita.
He was the man they called the “Ski King,” and
the one that opened the first ski resort in

Kansai.

9.11. Use of humble verbs

In general, humble verbs are used to denote one’s own acts
when speaking to persons who are socially superior.

“Ē, nani?”

“Buchō, chotto o-ukagai shite mo “Sure, what?”
yoroshii desu ka.”
“(Manager,) is it okay to ask you

something?”

When two people of approximately equal social status

are talking, each may use the exalted forms in reference to
the other person, but they generally use just the simple

polite forms rather than the humble forms in reference to
themselves.