1The polite (teineigo) form of ある / いる, used to indicate existence or availability in formal settings — service interactions, business, and public announcements. In the form ～でございます, it also serves as the polite form of です (e.g., こちらでございます 'this is it'). It is the ending of set polite expressions such as ありがとうございます and おはようございます. Usually written in kana.
お手洗いはあちらにございます。
The restrooms are over that way.
ご不明な点がございましたら、お気軽にお問い合わせください。
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.
本日の特売品はこちらでございます。
Here are today's sale items.
申し訳ございませんが、当店ではお取り扱いがございません。
We're very sorry, but our store does not carry that item.
本日はご来店いただき、誠にありがとうございます。
Thank you very much for visiting our store today.
2Used after the -te form of a verb as the auxiliary ～ております, this is a highly polite version of ～ている (the progressive/state form). Common in customer service, formal announcements, and business writing, often used humbly or formally to describe one's own actions or state.
只今、確認しておりますので少々お待ちください。
We're checking on that now, so please wait a moment.
弊社は東京に本社を構えております。
Our company has its headquarters in Tokyo.
担当者はただいま会議に出席しております。
The person in charge is currently in a meeting.
ご注文の商品は明日発送される予定となっております。
Your order is scheduled to ship tomorrow.
3(dated / extremely formal) Used after ～まして to express past or completed action — in the form ～ましてございます / ました. In modern Japanese it is found only in very limited contexts such as period dramas or extremely formal/old-fashioned greetings.
先日は大変お世話になりましてございました。
I was deeply indebted to you the other day. (very formal/old-fashioned)