Although tourists are not expected to speak and act as the Japanese would, it is always a pleasant gesture to make an effort in further understanding the local community’s culture and forms of etiquette. One of the simplest ways for a foreign traveler to pay respect to the practices of Japan is to familiarize himself with proper Japanese honorifics.
An Overview of Japanese Names, Honorifics, and Titles
Japanese names follow the structure of having the family name before the given name unless spoken or written in English. According to practice, adults in Japan typically do not address each other by their first names out of respect. They often call each other by their last names, which are often combined with a formal honorific, for added reverence.
The act of calling another person by his given name, with or without an honorific, is often reserved for close friends or family members. As such, when a character of a Japanese film or anime show changes his way of addressing another from using his last name to his first name, the switch represents a significant development or turning point in their relationship.
The dynamic world of Japanese honorifics contains dozens of formal and informal titles but are not all common. A lot of these honorifics, which come in the form of suffixes, have gender-neutral uses but, depending on context, may also be used as terms of endearment for males or females.
Using Japanese honorifics when speaking to the locals can easily make a foreign traveler look respectful and sincere. However, there are a few rules to follow when it comes to addressing strangers, acquaintances, professionals, and other members of the community. Different honorifics serve different purposes and may cause unnecessary misunderstandings when improperly used.
Using Japanese Honorifics
Japanese honorifics play a fundamental role in Japanese sociolinguistics. Proper usage of it is essential for appropriately and proficiently addressing the Japanese community. Consequently, using an honorific or leaving out a required honorific to refer to oneself may make one seem arrogant or inept.
As previously mentioned, honorifics and titles are used as suffixes. These can be attached either to a person’s first or last name, depending on which he states when asked what to call him. In the case where he gives his full name, a tourist may attach an honorific to the last stated name.
An honorific is often used to refer to an interlocutor, the other person involved in the dialogue or conversation, or to another person not present in the discussion. However, when addressing incredibly close friends, younger family members, one’s spouse, or social inferiors, the use of honorifics is often dropped. Classmates or members of a sports team of the same age and seniority often call each other by their family names without honorifics.
The use of honorifics to refer to oneself is only acceptable when talking to a child and teaching him the proper way of addressing each other. For the purpose of being cute or arrogant, certain honorifics may also be used in conjunction with one’s own name.
Formal Japanese Honorifics & Titles – San/Han, Sama, Senpai, Sensei, and Dono
There are certain Japanese honorifics and titles used to formally address strangers, acquaintances, and superiors in terms of career, social class, or level. Some of the most common ones that may be useful for foreign travelers include:
San / Han
San, or pronounced as han in the Kansai dialect, is considered to be the most common Japanese honorific and is one of the safest suffixes a foreign traveler can use to properly address the locals. The closest titles that serve as its equivalents in the English language is Mr. and Ms. It is often used by people of the same social class but is generally used to convey respect and politeness, regardless of standing or status.
Sama
A level higher than the suffix san is sama, which is used to pay a great respect towards the one being addressed and shows the humility of the speaker. In the context of history and fantasy, this honorific loosely translates to Lord or Lady in English. At present, it is often used by businesses to flatter their clients, by people writing letters to their friends, or by young women playfully referring to their crushes.
In the case that a person uses this honorific to address another person of the same social status or just a couple of levels higher or lower than him, the act may be considered as groveling. Other situations also make use of the honorific as a form of sarcasm or disrespect, depending on context.
Senpai
Fans of anime series revolving around school life will often hear the suffix senpai being used by younger students. One of the English translations of the honorific is an upperclassman but it is best described to be a term used to address mentors or seniors. As such, the title can be used in organizations, clubs, and workplaces.
Senpai can be used as a stand-alone title. Its counterpart is kohai, which may be used to refer to those of the same level or lower.
Sensei
Sensei, when translated into English, literally means “the one before”. It is a respectful title that is used to refer to doctors, teachers, martial arts masters, and other esteemed professionals. Similar to senpai, sensei can also be used as a stand-alone title to address accomplished individuals with a certain level of mastery or skill in their respective fields.
Dono
Back in the feudal times of Japan, the suffix dono was considered to be a more respectful title than sama. However, unlike sama, using this honorific does not imply that the speaker is of a lower ranking or social status. Over time, the honorific has gone to lower level of respect compared to sama for its absence of self-humbling.
It is rarely used by the local community in their day-to-day lives but is still being used by the military to refer to their superiors. The honorific is also widely used in anime series as an anachronism.
Informal Japanese Honorifics & Rules for Using them – Chan and Kun
There are only two informal Japanese honorifics that can be used to address close friends and family members. The Japanese community has a firm set of unspoken rules that dictates the acceptable usage of each suffix. Tourists should carefully consider using these informal honorifics to avoid offending the interlocutor.
Chan
Generally, chan is a cute term of endearment that may be used for small children, pets, lovers, or friends but is frequently used by and for females. It is considered to be an affectionate diminutive for creating an adorable nickname. In the western culture, a perfect example of this practice would be calling a friend named Jim as Jimmy.
General Rules for Using Chan
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Everybody can address small children with chan.
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Children can address each other, older children, and adults with chan.
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Regardless of age, a person can be addressed with chan by his or her female relatives.
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Teenage boys can address their girlfriends with chan but when girls use it for their boyfriends, the act is similar to baby-talk and is considered embarrassing for the guys.
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Adults who grew up together can still address each other with chan.
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Shortening a person’s given name then adding the suffix chan signifies a closer relationship.
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Married couples cannot address each other with chan in front of their children.
Kun
Kun is an informal honorific used to refer to the male gender. It is often considered to be a term of endearment or familiarity. Some situations, such as a teacher calling an older student or a coworker calling a colleague of a lower position, make it acceptable to use kun for females.
General Rules for Using Kun
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Upon entering school, a boy can be addressed with kun by almost everybody.
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An older man can be addressed with kun if the person calling him is his teacher or boss.
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An older man addressed with kun by a person he outranks is considered offensive.
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A woman or girl can be addressed with kun by her supervisor or teacher. Using kun instead of san denotes the speaker’s higher ranking. This is commonly used in company offices and workspaces.
Mispronounced Japanese Honorifics – Tan, Chi, Chin, and Run
A lot of children often mispronounce Japanese honorifics for the purpose of teasing or insulting the person they are referring to. Some teenagers or adults make use of these mispronounced honorifics to act cute and playful.
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Tan - considered as baby talk for the honorific chan
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Chi / Chin / Rin – considered as cute versions of the honorific chan. This is often used by teenage girls.
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Run / Pun – a mispronunciation of the honorific kun which is used by girls who want to tease boys
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Chama – a comical honorific that combines chan and sama.
Familial Japanese Honorifics
Addressing family members can be done in two different ways according to the Japanese language. For a person speaking to a friend or non-family member and talking about his own family, descriptive nouns are generally used to refer to the members (e.g. ani for older brother). On the other hand, when a person is addressing members of his family or is referring to the family members of another person, familial honorifics are used.
These honorifics often make use of a root word to create formal and informal versions. Adding an o, an honorific prefix, to the root word and ending it with the suffix san is the common structure of formal familial honorifics. Informal familial honorifics drop the prefix o and sometimes make use of chan instead of san.
The Japanese familial honorifics listed below follow the format – Root word, Formal Version, Acceptable Informal Version/s:
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Mother – Ka, Oka-san, Ka-san / Ka-chan
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Father – To, Oto-san, To-san
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Grandmother – Ba, Oba-san, Oba-chan
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Grandfather – Ji, Oji-san, Oji-chan
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Aunt / Middle-aged Woman – Ba, Oba-san, N/A
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Uncle / Middle-aged Man – Ji, Oji-san, N/A
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Older Brother – Nii, Onii-san, Nii-san / Onii-chan / Nii-chan
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Older Sister – Ne, One-san, Ne-san / One-chan / Ne-chan
List of Other Japanese Honorifics & Titles and Their Meaning
Other interesting honorifics and titles that are still used by members of the Japanese community in their daily lives, documents, works of art, or films include:
Shi
The suffix shi can often be found in formal writing. It is a generic honorific that is used to politely refer to individuals that the writer has never personally met. Writers of newspapers, legal documents, or reports often make use of shi to address various individuals. When only one person is being referred to throughout the paper or speech, shi may be used as a stand-alone title after initially introducing the individual.
No Kimi
In Japanese history, the suffix no kimi was often used to identify various Lords and Ladies, particularly of the Heian Period. At present, it serves as a metaphor for individuals who tend to behave as if they were princes or princesses from the ancient times.
Members of the local community rarely use it except when writing a letter to their lover which adds a similar effect as “My Beloved”. The honorific is mainly used in historical dramas.
Ue
Ue, which means above in English, is not as often used today as it was in ancient times. Is implies a high amount of respect by the speaker towards the person he is addressing. At present, it is put in conjunction with descriptive familial nouns such as haha-ue, chichi-ue, and ane-ue which refer to mother, father, and sister, respectively.
Pyon
Pyon is considered to be a slang honorific that is used by a person when he wants to be sweet, cute, or loving towards the person he is addressing.
Pi
Similar to chan, pi is a cutesy Japanese honorific but is used to refer to small pets. For redundancy, some may call their pets as Pi-chan.
Me
Me is a derogatory Japanese honorific that a person can use to address individuals, things, or ideas that they find to be inferior or irritating. It is more often used in anime and manga than it is in real life. Interestingly, using the suffix in conjunction with one’s own name creates a sense of humility.
Gozen
Gozen denotes nobility and is used to address women. In ancient times, it served as a title for female samurais that showcased a high level of mastery and skill in combat.
Shishou
Shishou is similar to sensei but can only be used to refer to masters of particular fields of the traditional Japanese arts and crafts. It can be used as a stand-alone title and translates to mean Master in English.
Hakase
For professionals with an extremely high level of academic achievement, hakase serves as a more appropriate honorific than sensei. It is technically reserved for doctors but can also be used to address senior professors and other high-ranking professionals.