The idol used "お仕事" to refer to her own job. Is that appropriate?


I saw a dialogue in Japanese drama. The context of the dialogue is that an
elderly female reporter is interviewing a young female idol who has just
become popular. The dialogue is as follows:

> Interviewer: 今お仕事お忙しそうですね。(It sounds like you are busy with your work right
> now.)  
>  The idol interviewed: はい、でも **お仕事** はすごく楽しいですね。(Yes, but I really enjoy my
> job.)

The idol uses "お仕事" to refer to her own job. Is that appropriate?

Or is the scriptwriter trying to show that she was new, so she is not
proficient in honorifics?

I thought お仕事 means 'your job', and only refers to other people's work.




Yes that usage is fine. お仕事 in that context is being used as a 美化語, which you
can safely use to refer to something that belongs to yourself. お仕事 like this
is not even an honorific (尊敬語) in the first place.

  * [Terminology: Does the term 美化語 include all ご・お・etc. prefixes, or only ones outside of a 敬語 context?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/86215/5010)

Actually, お仕事 is a word that lies in a gray area between 尊敬語 and 美化語. In very
formal situations, like in job interviews, a few strict people may say お仕事
should be used only as a 尊敬語. That said, no one would consider this a problem
in a casual interview with an idol.




Yes that usage is fine. お仕事 in that context is being used as a 美化語, which you
can safely use to refer to something that belongs to yourself. お仕事 like this
is not even an honorific (尊敬語) in the first place.

  * [Terminology: Does the term 美化語 include all ご・お・etc. prefixes, or only ones outside of a 敬語 context?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/86215/5010)

Actually, お仕事 is a word that lies in a gray area between 尊敬語 and 美化語. In very
formal situations, like in job interviews, a few strict people may say お仕事
should be used only as a 尊敬語. That said, no one would consider this a problem
in a casual interview with an idol.

