The most polite is keigo.
Keigo is used in circumstances where the speaker believes they are of a lower standing to the listener. This will normally occur in a work space when a subordinate is talking to their boss or in terms of a student teacher relationship.
An example of this is the different words used in the neutral -masu form compared to the keigo version of the verbs.
This can be seen in the 2 verbs もらいます (moraimasu) and くれます(kuremasu) which mean to receive and to give respectively. However, in keigo form these would be replaced with いただいます (itadakimasu) and くださいます (kudasaimasu). There is also another keigo word for to give やります (yarimasu) which is used when talking about giving things to someone the speaker judges below them for example a younger person or an animal.
One of the least polite of Japanese is to use a more casual plain form.
This is normally used in very informal settings and between people who are close friends or have met a few times.
One aspect that effects the plain form is the conjugation of the verb.
For example the verb 食べます (tabemasu) to eat:
| -Masu Form | Plain Form | |
| Present Positive | 食べます (tabemasu) | 食べる (taberu) |
| Past Positive | 食べました (tabemashita) | 食べた (tabeta) |
| Present Negative | 食べません (tabemasen) | 食べない (tabenai) |
| Past Negative | 食べませんでした (tabemasen deshita) | 食べなかった (tabenakatta) |
Also with the plain form a lot of the particles will be omitted for example the copula です (desu) which means to be.
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