Japanese Honorifics That You Need to Know

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When people are speaking in Japanese, people will almost always use Honorifics to refer to another person. Whether it is the person they are talking to or the person they are mentioning. That is why learning some of the basic or the most important honorifics is really important to do. Here in this post we will discuss some of the honorifics that are used in Japanese.


San/さん

The first we will discuss is the honorifics -san. This honorific is the most used one and the standard honoric that can be used in both formal and informal situations. This honorific can be used for basically anyone. The honorific can also be used after the name of the position, occupation, and also company or business name.

Example:

After someone else's given name or family name.

あの人は田中さんです。

Ano hito wa Tanaka-san desu.

That person is Tanaka.


After the name of the position, occupation, and also company or business name.

お巡りさん

Omawari-san

Police officer


Kun/君 

For the next one we have kun. This honorific is usually used for boys or young men that are equal or lower in status(or age). This honorific is one of the informal honorifics which mean it is used only by people close to us or know us well. This honorific can also be used to refer to junior (in a company for example) regardless or their gender. 

Example:

To refer to acquintances.

見て! ワワン君だ!

Mite! Wawan-kun da!

Look! It's Wawan-kun!


To refer our junior.

アユ君は会社に居る?

Ayu kun wa kaisha ni iru?

Is Ayu-kun in the office?


Chan/ちゃん

Next we have chan. This honorific can be used in various ways and various things. For people, it can be used for babies, children, also young boys and girls, and people we're really close to. In a female friend group it can also be used for each other. For male friend, it is only usually used if we are actually close. The honorific itself has a cutesy connotation and can also be used for things or animals.

Example:

猫ちゃんだ!

Neko-chan da! 

That is a kitty!


Sama/様

Next we have sama. This honorific is usually used in formal situations and has a somewhat really polite or really superior vibe. It is mostly used to refer to our clients or customers. Compared to other honorifics that we have discussed, this one stands on the highest position in terms of politeness. 

Example:

お客様

Okyaku-sama

Guest/visitor/customer.

Senpai

Next we have senpai. This one is used to refer to our seniors. We can attach the honorific after the person's name and also without any name, just senpai.


Sensei

For the last one we have sensei. This word by itself means teacher and is mostly used to refer to our teacher. Other than teacher, this honorific is also used to refer to doctor, lawyer, novelist, and many more professions.


That is all for our discussion today. In case you are still not really sure how to use the honorifics, you can visit jisho.org to see some of the examples

Source of the Pictures:

https://www.irasutoya.com/

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