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- 🧑 San (さん) The simplest translation would be "Mr" or "Mrs" (so this is a unisex suffix), but it signifies much more than that. "- San" is used with someone we respect and with whom one is not especially close, for example a colleague or boss, customers or anyone you don’t know very well.
- 🧒 Kun (君，くん) This is a less formal title with a lower level of politeness. In fact the symbol or kanji is the same as that of "kimi", like "you" in its familiar form or the French "tu" (especially between couples).
- 👧 Chan (ちゃん) "-Chan" performs a function similar to "kun", except that it is used mainly with girls. It's quite an affectionate word, which might be used with a friend, a classmate, a little sister, a baby, a grandmother, a girl or a woman to let her know you think she is sweet.
- 🧑💼 Senpai (先輩、せんぱい) This signifies that a person in a group has more experience such as a senior colleague or a high school senior if you’re in a lower grade.
- Which Honorific Is Appropriate in Certain situations?
- San
- Chan
- Kun
- Sensei
- Sama
- Senpai
- Kouhai
- Always Remember ...
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Whether it's from anime, Japanese TV shows or movies, or something you've come across in your studies, most people have come across a Japanese honorific at some point. It might be confusing to know which one goes with which situation and which is more appropriate according to age and gender. Is it san, chan,or kun? How about sama or sensei? How can...
You can add the honorific san for people you've just met, ideally with their last name (if they introduced themselves as such).San is used for strangers and for people with whom you have a neutral or professional relationship. Here are some more examples where -sanis generally used: 1. Teachers, when addressing students. 2. Doctors, when addressing...
You may have heard chan used if you watch anime shows or read manga comics, though it is used in the real world, too! Here are some situations in which chanis used: 1. Between friends (often accompanied by the shortening of their name). For example, "Rinko" could be shortened to "Rin-chan," "Yukiko," "Yuki-chan," and so on. 2. Celebrities (for exam...
Kun is used similarly to chan, but only for boys. Here are some examples where you might hear -kun. 1. For younger boys or baby boys. 2. For male pets. 3. Senior males to junior males (usually in school). 4. You won'tusually hear kunin the workplace unless it's a very informal setting, and the men get along remarkably well. It's worth noting that t...
You may have heard of the word sensei if you've studied martial arts, but it's not only used for karate masters. Here are some situations where you'll hear and use sensei. 1. For school teachers or tutors. It goes at the end of their surname, or you can simply call them sensei. 2. For doctors and dentists.
Sama is used for someone considered higher ranking than oneself, usually in a professional setting. Here are some examples of where samais used. 1. For customers (o-kyaku-sama). Kyaku means "customer." 2. For God (kamisama). Kami alone refers to one of the many gods in various faiths. 3. A long time ago, women added sama when addressing their husba...
This is another well-known honorific you might have heard if you watch anime or enjoy internet memes. Here are some real examples of where senpaiis used in Japan. 1. A student in a higher grade in school. 2. Someone higher up or with more experience in a company. 3. Like sensei, senpaican be used by itself without the name attached.
Kouhai is the opposite of senpai. Unlike senpai, however, it isn't usually used to directly address someone but to refer to them in the third person. Here's an example. Miyazaki: Thank you for helping me, senpai. Tanaka: No problem, Miyazaki-san. [Later] Nakao: What were you doing earlier, Tanaka-san? Tanaka: I was helping my kouhaiwith some things...
Be sure never to refer to yourself with an honorific (this sometimes occurs when small children refer to themselves as chan, but in general, it isn't done). If you're unsure what to call someone, stick to san until told otherwise, and be sure to use senseifor your teacher or doctor!
Jan 19, 2019 · The use of the word -sama is the most formal, and is very special. This higher version of -san is used in very specific situations towards people who have a high status, such as with customers in the customer service industry, but more commonly when talking about Japanese deities 神様 (kami-sama).
May 2, 2024 · "San," "kun," and "chan" are added to the ends of names and occupation titles to convey varying degrees of intimacy and respect in the Japanese language. They are used very often, and it is considered impolite if you use the terms incorrectly.
- Namiko Abe
Apr 4, 2016 · Using Japanese Honorific Titles (E.g. San, Sama, Kun and Chan) In Japan, most of the time people call each other by their family name rather than their given names. A Japanese honorific title is a suffix that goes after the person’s name as in “Satou (name) san (honorific)” to raise this person up.
In Japan, when talking about other people, one uses honorific titles after their name. The most common title is san (さん). It means all of "Mr", "Mrs", "Miss", and "Ms." Mr Tanaka is referred to as Tanaka-san, as is Mrs Tanaka, and their unmarried daughter.
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Jul 22, 2016 · In Japanese, honorific suffixes are words like san さん, chan ちゃん, kun くん, and sama 様, which are written or said after a person's name when addressing them. They're also called honorific titles, or keishou 敬称. There are dozens of them, and they're used for dozens of reasons.
