Photo: Kyle Lui

Why do Japanese say San?

さん/-san. The Japanese suffix -san is polite, but not excessively formal. It can be broadly used to: Refer to anyone you don't know, regardless of status or age.

busuu.com - Japanese Honorifics: San, Chan, Kun and Beyond - Busuu

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Japanese honorifics are complicated – and important. If you’re wondering, what do chan, kun, san, and sama mean? Well, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide to the most common Japanese honorifics added to names, you’ll learn Japanese suffix meanings so you know which one to use and when. According to Busuu’s resident Japanese expert, “Japanese honorifics are all about politeness. They’re a little tricky, but they’re very important. See, politeness is of the utmost importance in Japanese culture, and that importance is reflected in the language system.”

Japanese honorifics, explained

Honorific language basically means more humble and more respectful ways of saying things. It appears across several parts of speech in Japanese, including in verb variations and common phrases. However, one common and important way honorific speech is applied is in the prefixes and suffixes we use to refer to other people indirectly and to address them directly. These additions are referred to, simply, as honorifics. Using these honorific names correctly can make even basic Japanese feel more natural and correct to the situation – while getting these wrong can result in an awkward moment. Top tip: When in doubt, go with addressing and referring to people using their last name plus the polite ending -san (i.e. Smith-san, Suzuki-san) until otherwise instructed.

Japanese honorifics for beginners

Honorifics are essentially nicknames that get applied across society. They’re usually suffixes and typically added to the end of someone’s last name.

The primary factors that determine which honorific you should use are:

Age

Familiarity

Social rank (for example, work hierarchy, or if one of you is royalty...) So when speaking to an unfamiliar older person, you’d go for more polite language, while when speaking to a younger person who you know well, you’d be expected to use more casual language. It’d be oddly formal to use that polite language. This is not an unfamiliar concept, if you think about it. We often speak to our friends differently than we speak to our boss or grandmother – the Japanese language just formalises those adjustments through grammar and honorific speech. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at the most common Japanese honorifics you’ll hear and use as you learn Japanese.

Chart of common Japanese honorific prefixes & suffixes

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