Japanese honorifics: san, kun, chan, sama, sensei
San (さん) is the polite title Japanese adds after a person's name, like Mr. or Ms., but for anyone and with any name: 田中さん, Tanaka-san. Other titles say more: くん (kun) for boys and juniors, ちゃん (chan) for children and close friends, 様 (sama) for customers, 先生 (sensei) for teachers and doctors.
さん
- Romaji
- san
- Meaning
- Mr. or Ms., after a name
Polite and casual
| Form | Who and when |
|---|---|
| さんsanPolite | Anyone: coworkers, neighbors, shop staff, adults you meet. The safe default. |
| くんkunFamiliar | Boys and young men, and juniors at school or work, from someone senior. |
| ちゃんchanAffectionate | Children, close friends, family, pets. |
| 様samaVery polite | Customers, and names on letters and emails: 山田様. |
| 先生senseiRespectful | Teachers, doctors, lawyers, writers, politicians. |
| 先輩senpaiRespectful | Someone ahead of you at the same school, club or company. |
When to use it
Use さん with everyone by default: after the family name for adults you do not know well (鈴木さん), after the given name when people use it (ハナさん).
Japanese often uses the name and title where English says you: 田中さんは行きますか？ means are you going, Tanaka-san? And 先生 works alone, without the name, to address a teacher.
When not to
Never add a title to your own name. At work, when speaking to someone outside the company, you also drop it for your own colleagues, even your boss: 田中は今、席を外しております, Tanaka is away from the desk right now.
ちゃん and くん are for people you are close to or who are younger than you; with an adult you just met, they sound overfamiliar.
Examples
田中さん、おはようございます。
Reading: たなかさん、おはようございます。
Romaji: Tanaka-san, ohayō gozaimasu.
Good morning, Tanaka-san.
ユキちゃん、元気？
Reading: ユキちゃん、げんき？
Romaji: Yuki-chan, genki?
How are you, Yuki?
先生、質問があります。
Reading: せんせい、しつもんがあります。
Romaji: sensei, shitsumon ga arimasu.
Teacher, I have a question.
お客様、こちらへどうぞ。
Reading: おきゃくさま、こちらへどうぞ。
Romaji: okyakusama, kochira e dōzo.
This way, please. (To a customer.)
bunka · culture
Adults usually call each other by family name and , even after years as coworkers; given names are for family, close friends and children. Calling someone by the bare name, with no title, has its own word, (yobisute), and it signals closeness or authority.
Common mistakes
- Calling yourself さん. マリアさんです is wrong; say マリアです.
- Leaving the title off. A bare family name sounds rude unless you are close.
- Using ちゃん with a coworker you just met. It sounds overfamiliar.
Questions people ask
Say it out loud, with feedback
Knowing a phrase is not the same as saying it. In Naraio you practice phrases like these in short role plays with Hana, a tutor who listens, answers in natural Japanese and scores your pronunciation, and spaced reviews bring them back before they fade.