Extra Modest Expressions
We use the verbs below to show an extra amount of deference to the listener and to talk modestly of our own actions. Having one of these verbs is like ending a sentence with words like sir and ma’am.
いる -> おります (おる)
行く and くる -> まいります (まいる)
言う -> もうします (もうす)
する -> いたします (いたす)
食べる and のむ -> いただきます (いただく)
ある -> ございます (ござる)
~ている -> ~ております (~ておる)
~です -> ~でございます (~でござる)
You can use these verbs instead of the normal ones on very formal occasions, for example, when you introduce yourself at a job interview (They are typically used with the more stilted first-person word わたくし, rather than わたし). Or you can also use these expressions to talk modestly about your own family or about the company you work for.