なさるnasaru“do; honorific form”

なさる means do; honorific form. It is a JLPT N4 Japanese grammar pattern used to express the N4 idea of “to do honorifically” in natural Japanese.

This grammar point often appears in conversation, written explanations, formal notices, and JLPT-style reading questions. If you want to express the N4 idea of “to do honorifically” in natural Japanese, なさる is a useful pattern to learn after the N5 basics.

What does なさる mean?

Use なさる when you want to express the N4 idea of “to do honorifically” in natural Japanese.

Natural translations include:

• to do (honorific)
• to do honorifically
• to do honorifically

How to form なさる

Noun + なさる / なさいます

Examples of the pattern:

• Noun + なさる
• Noun
• なさる

When is なさる used?

Use なさる in situations like:

• explaining a condition, reason, decision, comparison, or time relationship
• making a sentence more specific than a basic N5 pattern

Tone and register:

• neutral unless the grammar itself is marked as casual, humble, honorific, or formal
• Common in daily speech, textbook examples, and JLPT N4 reading questions

なさる example sentences

• 先生は何をなさっていますか。 — What is the teacher doing?
• 社長はテニスをなさいます。 — The company president plays tennis.
• どんな仕事をなさっていますか。 — What kind of work do you do?
• 先生が説明なさいます。 — The teacher will explain.
• 週末は何をなさいますか。 — What will you do on the weekend?

Try to notice what the grammar point contributes: condition, timing, limitation, possibility, decision, politeness, contrast, or emphasis.

Nuance of なさる

The key nuance is to do honorifically in a sentence-specific context.

This matters because なさる may look simple in English, but the Japanese form tells you whether the speaker is describing a time, a condition, a decision, a possibility, a contrast, or a social relationship.

For example:

• In context, なさる helps make the sentence more precise than a direct English translation.
• Compared with する, it has a different focus even when both patterns appear in similar sentences.

なさる vs する

Both なさる and する can appear in related sentences, but they are different.

なさる:

• is the target JLPT N4 pattern in this lesson
• carries the specific nuance explained above

する:

• is useful for comparison because learners often mix it up
• may use a different form, tone, or sentence focus

Quick contrast examples:

• Target pattern: 先生は何をなさっていますか。 — What is the teacher doing?
• Related pattern with する: compare the form and ask whether the sentence is about timing, condition, ability, decision, contrast, or politeness.

If you are unsure which one to use, identify the main job of the sentence before translating it into English.

Common mistakes with なさる

Watch out for these mistakes:

• Using it with the wrong verb, noun, or adjective form
• Confusing it with する because the English translation can look similar
• Translating it too literally instead of reading the whole sentence context

Is なさる on the JLPT?

Yes. なさる is connected to JLPT N4 grammar in this blog.

That means learners should be able to:

• recognize it in reading
• understand its nuance in context
• use it in simple original sentences

Practice questions for なさる

• Write one sentence using the basic pattern.
• Change the sentence into polite or casual style if possible.
• Compare it with the related pattern from the comparison section.

Learning path for なさる

Use なさる as part of your JLPT N4 voice, causative, passive, and politeness grammar toolkit. Identify the subject’s role before choosing なさる: doer, receiver, person made to act, respected person, or humble speaker. Voice and politeness patterns are mostly about social direction, not just verb endings.

A good review order is: first make one short sentence with なさる, then compare it with お～になる, and finally add いらっしゃる or いたします to see how the nuance changes.

For practice, write one sentence that uses なさる in its most literal meaning, one sentence that changes the subject or time expression, and one sentence that contrasts it with one of the related patterns below.

Related grammar to review next

• お～になる — do; honorific form.
• いらっしゃる — honorific be, come, or go.
• いたします — the humble form of do.
• ございます — the polite form of there is.

Learn なさる with Hane

If you want to review なさる together with the related patterns above, Hane helps you practice Japanese in short, focused sessions.

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