御

音読おんよみ: ギョ・ゴ

訓読くんよみ: おん・お・み

画数かくすう: 12

部首ぶしゅ: ぎょうにんべん（彳）

Meaning

Honorable / Govern / Imperial — also a polite prefix.

  • 御ご／お〜 — honorific prefix (e.g., ご飯 / お茶)
  • 御中おんちゅう — “Attn.” (on letters to organizations)
  • 御礼おれい — thanks; expression of gratitude
  • 御所ごしょ — imperial palace
  • 御守おまもり — protective amulet (often written お守り)
  • 制御せいぎょ — control; regulation

彳 on the left suggests movement/steps. Historically, 御 also carries the sense of “to govern/drive (a carriage)” → by extension, to attend to politely. In modern Japanese it’s widely used as an honorific prefix (ご／お) to show respect.

敬

Link 御 with 敬（respect）: add 御/ご/お to words when you want to sound respectful. Think “steps taken with care” → polite form. That mental link makes the prefix usage stick.

制
Control

制御せいぎょ — control; regulation; to govern a system

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