Japanese Names Kun San Chan
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.
Japanese names kun san chan. Using japanese honorific titles e g. Chan in japanese chan ちゃん is an endearing female suffix. The most common japanese honorifics are probably san kun chan and sama and they all have a different role and are used in different situations. Generally it is used for babies teenager girls young children and grandparents.
Chan is also used for adults who are considered to be kawaii cute or loveable. 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. It has to be added right after person s name. Titles and honorifics in japanese san kun chan senpai the use of honorifics in japanese of which san is probably the best known is an inevitable part of the language but also quite a confusing area for many of you.
Teachers use kun to address male students sometimes but you do not want to address your teacher with kun. Using chan with a superior s name is considered rude and condescending. San sama kun and chan in japan most of the time people call each other by their family name rather than their given names. They are used very often and it is considered impolite if you use the terms incorrectly.
The change from san to chan is a kind of baby talk in japanese where sh sounds are turned into ch sounds such as chitchai for chiisai small. Honya san bookstore san translates to bookseller chan ちゃん this suffix shows the speaker finds a person endearing. But it will help you to know the differences. Chan and kun occasionally mean similar things.
It is most commonly used for children but is also widely used among. And if you ever want to work in japan it is important to learn the different japanese honorifics san sama kun chan dono. That is obviously the main expression the others are exceptions. These are just some of the common honorifics you may see or hear in anime.
For example arnold schwarzenegger gained the. You never use kun to address a man who is older or of a higher level than you. Chan ちゃん is a form of san used to refer to children and female family members close friends and lovers. If you re a little bit familiar with japanese culture you already know that people rarely use another person s first name and therefore japanese honorifics are tied to last names.
Rarely sisters with the same name such as miku may be differentiated by calling one miku chan and the other miku san or sama and on some occasions kun. Onii chan words that refer to rank or job position e g shachou taichou or honorifics use in local dialects such as han.