Japanese name suffixes explained: -san, -kun, -chan, -sama, -sensei and -senpai

TUREFF• •0

In Japanese you rarely say someone's name on its own. A small suffix goes after it, and that suffix says a lot about your relationship. Getting it right is easier than it looks, because one suffix covers most situations.

-san: the safe default

-san (さん) is polite and neutral, like Mr, Ms or Mrs, but used for men and women, married or not, and with family names or given names.

Tanaka-san, Yuki-san
Use it for colleagues, acquaintances, shop staff and anyone you are not sure about.
It also goes on job titles and businesses: omawari-san (police officer), hon'ya-san (the bookshop).

If in doubt, use -san. Nobody is offended by it.

-kun

-kun (くん) is used mostly for boys and young men, by people of the same age or older.

A teacher to a male pupil, friends to each other, a senior colleague to a junior.
In some workplaces, managers use -kun for junior staff of either gender.
It sounds friendly but slightly downward, so do not use it for someone senior to you.

-chan

-chan (ちゃん) is affectionate and cute. It is used for:

small children, and girls among close friends
family members and pets
nicknames, often with a shortened name: Tomoko becomes Tomo-chan

Using -chan for an adult you do not know well can sound condescending or overly familiar, so wait until someone uses it for themselves or invites it.

-sama

-sama (様) is a very respectful form of -san.

Used for customers: okyaku-sama.
On envelopes and formal letters, after the recipient's name.
In shops and hotels you will hear your own name with -sama.
In everyday speech, using it for a friend is a joke or sarcasm.

-sensei

-sensei (先生) is for teachers, doctors, lawyers, politicians, and established artists and writers. It can replace the name: students simply say "sensei". Do not use it for yourself, even if you are a teacher.

-senpai and kōhai

-senpai (先輩) is for someone who joined your school, club or company before you. It is used as a suffix (Yamada-senpai) or alone. The junior is the kōhai (後輩), but that word is not used as a suffix.

When people drop the suffix

Close friends and family often use names without any suffix, called yobisute. Doing it without being invited can sound rude or too intimate.
Talking about your own group to outsiders: in business, when talking to another company, you refer to your own colleagues, even your boss, by family name with no suffix. "Tanaka is out at the moment" rather than "Tanaka-san".
Celebrities and historical figures in the news or in books are often named without one.

Never use a suffix for yourself

You do not say "I'm Smith-san". Introduce yourself with your name alone: "Sumisu desu." Some children and cute characters refer to themselves with -chan, but adults do not.

Business usage

Use family name + san for colleagues and clients, unless they ask for something else.
Many companies address managers by title instead of name: buchō (department head), kachō (section head), shachō (company president). Saying "Tanaka-buchō" or just "buchō" is normal; "Tanaka-buchō-san" doubles up and is avoided.
In emails to other companies, -sama follows the recipient's name.
Some modern companies have a policy of -san for everyone, managers included.

Foreign names

Japanese speakers usually use your family name with -san in formal settings, and often your given name with -san socially, since foreign names are less familiar. Either is fine; you can say which you prefer.

Quick reference

Not sure? -san.
Customer or letter? -sama.
Teacher or doctor? -sensei.
Older at school or work? -senpai.
Younger boy or junior man you know? -kun.
Child, pet or very close friend? -chan.

Our keigo guide covers polite verbs and the ways of speaking that go with these. Which suffix do you find hardest to judge? Ask in the comments.