けっこんしていらっしゃいますか or けっこんなさっていますか


I was doing an exercise in which you are supposed to change questions into
honorific expressions (Genki II second ed, pg. 175 Ex. C.9.) when I stumbled
upon a question which had an answer that seems contrary to the way grammar was
explained previously:

  * More precisely, けっこんしていますか was changed to けっこんしていらっしゃいますか. 

However, according to the grammar section of the book (as well as A Dictionary
Of Basic Japanese Grammar):

> "honorific verbs generally take priority over ていらっしゃいます".

I was wondering **why in this situation the honorific verb なさる doesn't take
priority** (giving けっこんなさっていますか as an answer). What's more, if you were to
type both answers into google.co.jp, the ていらっしゃいます version has 200 000 hits to
5000 of けっこんなさっていますか.




“結婚していますか” is a forthright expression for asking whether someone is married or
not. This is alright when you say “彼（彼女）は結婚していますか,” refering to the third
party, but it’s impolite and blunt if you asked “あなたは結婚していますか” in face to the
person whom you are not so familiar with.

The formal way of asking of “Are you married” will be either
“(あなたは)結婚されていますか?” or ”結婚なさっていらっしゃいますか？” Both “…されて” and “….なさって” are
honorific verbs, and I don’t find any difference of meaning and degree in the
spectrum of politeness between ”結婚されていますか?” and ”結婚なさっていらっしゃいますか？, though the
reduplication of the formal expression of the latter (なさって + いらっしゃる) sounds a
bit redundant to me.




“結婚していますか” is a forthright expression for asking whether someone is married or
not. This is alright when you say “彼（彼女）は結婚していますか,” refering to the third
party, but it’s impolite and blunt if you asked “あなたは結婚していますか” in face to the
person whom you are not so familiar with.

The formal way of asking of “Are you married” will be either
“(あなたは)結婚されていますか?” or ”結婚なさっていらっしゃいますか？” Both “…されて” and “….なさって” are
honorific verbs, and I don’t find any difference of meaning and degree in the
spectrum of politeness between ”結婚されていますか?” and ”結婚なさっていらっしゃいますか？, though the
reduplication of the formal expression of the latter (なさって + いらっしゃる) sounds a
bit redundant to me.

