謙譲
けんじょう
noun
humility; modesty; self-deprecation
formalacademic
See also:
献上 (offering, presenting)
1.
humility; modesty; self-deprecation
The quality of being humble and yielding to others, particularly by lowering oneself. Central to the Japanese politeness system, especially in the context of humble language (謙譲語).
Usage
謙譲 is most commonly encountered in the compound 謙譲語 (humble language), one of the three main categories of Japanese keigo (敬語). On its own, it describes the attitude of humble self-restraint.
Compounds
Common collocations
Similar words
謙虚 (humble, modest) is a more common everyday word for humility as a personal quality. 謙譲 has a more formal, traditional tone and is strongly associated with the keigo system.