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Grammar detail: さん, くん and ちゃん

さん, くん and ちゃん  honorific naming suffixes
135 words
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In Japanese, names are typically suffixed with an honorific, which is roughly the equivalent of the English prefix 'Mr' or 'Mrs'. The most common is さん, which can be used with both males or females.
When talking to someone who is younger or lower in status (for example an office or school hierarchy), using ちゃん for a female and くん for a male is common.
A teacher or doctor would be referred to using the suffix
せんせい
先生
.
In written text, when referring to someone in the third person, it would be common to drop the suffix. However, in speech, it would almost never be excluded.
When referring to yourself, you would not add さん. For example, in the construction
わたし
なまえ
名前
は〜です, no さん would be added.
In very polite speech,
さま
is used instead of さん.
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Kanji used in this grammar

セン   さき ahead   
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セイ   ショウ    life   なま raw   いかす to enliven   いきる to live   いける to arrange flowers   うまれる to be born   う to give birth to   き pure, undiluted   お to grow, to sprout   はえる to grow, to sprout   はやす to grow, cultivate   
シ   わたくし    わたし I, myself   
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メイ   ミョウ   な name   
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ゼン   まえ before   
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ヨウ   さま Mr / Mrs   
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