Grammar Info
N4 Lesson 7: 11/18

なさる
to do (honorific)

Remember not to use honorific language when speaking about yourself and your actions!

Structure
Casual
Polite
するなさる
料理する → 料理なさる
お + Verb[ます]+ なさる

Conjugations
Verb[る]なさる
Verb[ない]なさらない
Verb[た]なさった
Verb[なかった] → なさらなかった
するなさます
料理する → 料理なさます
お + Verb[ます]+ なさます

Conjugations
Verb[る]なさます
Verb[ない]なさません
Verb[た]なさました
Verb[なかった] → なさませんでした

There are multiple levels of politeness for the て-form of なさる:
なさっていますなさってらっしゃいますなさっていらっしゃいます and なさっておられます*]
Details
Register Polite
使用域 敬語
Information
なさる is a 尊敬語(そんけいご) (honorific speech) verb which acknowledges and respects the actions of another (never the speaker). Like お~になる, なさる has exactly the same meaning as する.
なさる can be utilized in any situation where する would be used, as a direct replacement. It is a special-class verb, which means that it has some unique conjugation rules. In its casual form, it will conjugate in exactly the same way as a う-Verb.
  • 週末(しゅうまつ)お仕事(しごと)なさるのです
    Are you going to work over the weekend also?
  • 勘違(かんちが)いなさないで下さい
    Please don't take this the wrong way.
  • 社長(しゃちょう)先週(せんしゅう)どちらゴルフなさったのです
    Boss, where did you go to play golf last week?
  • 納得(なっとく)なさらないなら私(わたし)に言(い)ってください
    If you are not with me on this, please let me know.
However, in the polite form, instead of る changing to り (as would be expected of a う-Verb), it will change to い instead.
  • お飲(の)み物(もの)どうなさますか?
    What would you like to drink?
  • 忘(わす)れ物(もの)なさませんか
    Did you forget anything?
  • お客様(きゃくさま)、どうなさました
    Valued guest, what seems to be the issue?
  • 彼(かれ)計画(けいかく)変(か)えことはなさませんでした
    He did not do anything to change the plan.
Caution
Although some Japanese speakers will use it, expressions like なさっていらっしゃる are considered double keigo (なさる is 尊敬語(そんけいご), and いらっしゃる is also 尊敬語(そんけいご)), and are technically incorrect. However, なさる may be partnered with ます, which is simply 丁寧語(ていねいご) (polite speech).
  • 社長(しゃちょう)今(いま)、ゴルフなさていらっしゃる
    The CEO is currently playing golf quite playingly. (Unnatural Japanese, with unnatural English to match!)
  • 社長(しゃちょう)今(いま)ゴルフなさています
    The CEO is currently playing golf. (Natural Japanese)
Fun Fact
なさる is considered a little bit old fashioned in modern Japanese, and お~になる is the preferred form used by most native speakers.
Slow Male
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Hide Japanese
Hide English
飲(の)み物(もの)どうなさいます
What will you have to drink?
[honorific]
Play  
今朝(けさ)彼(かれ)家(いえ)留守(るす)なさいました
He was away from home this morning.
[留守にする English approximation is "to be absent, to be out"]
Play  
子供(こども)ころスポーツなさっていたんです
I hear that you played sports when you were younger.
[was doing - honorific]
Play  
Books
Genki II 1st Edition
Page 138
[DBJG] A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar
Page 36
Genki II 2nd Edition
Page 168
Tae Kim's Japanese Grammar Guide
Page 224