What honorifics are used in Japan?

The main Japanese honorifics

• Sanさん San is probably the first honorific you’ll learn how to use and it is one of the most commonly used.
• Chanちゃん This is the most familiar honorific and is supposedly derived from children who couldn’t say “San” properly.
• Kunくん
• Samaさま
• Other common honorifics.

How do you use Chan San and kun in Japanese?

Using “San” expresses one’s caring for others. Therefore, it is recommended to use “San” in any type of situations. “Kun(君)” is usually used for boys, especially the younger ones. On the contrary, “Chan” is for girls.

How are honorifics used?

An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Typically, honorifics are used as a style in the grammatical third person, and as a form of address in the second person.

How common are honorifics in Japan?

The Japanese honorific -kun is common among friends and younger people. People who watch Japanese television or read manga often take notice of -kun and -chan as they appear frequently as nicknames among friends in Japanese pop culture. -Kun is the more respectful of the two, but is still rather informal.

What are these Japanese honorifics?

The 4 Most Common Japanese Honorifics San in Japanese. As I said earlier, -さん ( -san) in Japanese means “Mr.”, “Mrs.”, or “Ms.” It’s gender neutral and is used regardless of marital status, which makes it Sama in Japanese. So what’s the -様 ( -sama) Japanese meaning? Chan in Japanese. This one can be tricky, only because of the wrong impression in the West from anime. Kun in Japanese.

What does the honorific Han mean in Japanese?

Chan, the childish version of san, refers to children and girls . The change from “s” sound to “ch” is considered cute in Japanese. Like for kun, friends and lovers can also address each other with this honorific. Surprisingly, there are some strange and wonderful exception to chan, as it can be used to refer to an endearing adult.

How do Japanese names work?

Japanese names are usually written in kanji ( Chinese characters ), although some names use hiragana or even katakana, or a mixture of kanji and kana. While most “traditional” names use kun’yomi (native Japanese) kanji readings, a large number of given names and surnames use on’yomi (Chinese-based) kanji readings as well.