Question
of the Week
Vol. 38
Q. How do you use "~ san," "~ kun" and "~ chan"?
A. "~ san （～さん）" is a title of respect added to a name. It can be used with both male and female names, and with either surnames or given names. It can also be attached to the name of occupations and titles.
| surname | Yamada-san 山田さん |
Mr. Yamada |
| given name | Yoko-san 陽子さん |
Miss. Yoko |
| occupation | honya-san 本屋さん |
bookseller |
| sakanaya-san 魚屋さん |
fishmonger | |
| title | shichou-san 市長さん |
mayor |
| oisha-san お医者さん |
doctor | |
| bengoshi-san 弁護士さん |
lawyer |
"~ kun （～君）" is used to address men who are younger or the same age as the speaker. A male might address female inferiors by "~ kun," usually in schools or companies. It can be attached to both surnames and given names. It is less polite than "~ san." It isn't used between women or when addressing one's superiors.
"~ chan （～ちゃん）" is often attached to children's names when calling them by their given names. It can also be attached to kinship terms in a childish language.
| Mika-chan 美香ちゃん |
Mika |
| ojii-chan おじいちゃん |
grandpa |
| obaa-chan おばあちゃん |
grandma |
| oji-chan おじちゃん |
uncle |
