Japanese honorifics: san, kun, chan, sama, senpai & sensei

How honorifics work

Honorifics (敬称, keishō) are attached to the end of a name: Tanaka-san, Yuki-chan. They can go after family names or given names. In Japan, people usually address each other by family name plus an honorific, unless they’re close.

Choosing one depends on age, status and how close you are. Luckily, there’s a default that almost always works.

さん (san): your safe default

• ▶︎
  たなかさんTanaka-san
  Mr./Ms. Tanaka
• ▶︎
  やまださんYamada-san
  Mr./Ms. Yamada

さん is neutral and polite, and works for men and women, colleagues, neighbours, shop staff and people you don’t know well. If you’re unsure, use さん. You can’t really go wrong with it.

It even attaches to jobs and places: おいしゃさん (doctor), パンやさん (the bakery, or the baker), and to family members: おかあさん (mother).

くん (kun)

くん is used for boys and young men, especially by people of the same age or older. Teachers use it for male students. In companies, a manager may use くん for a junior employee, sometimes including women.

ちゃん (chan)

ちゃん is affectionate and cute. It’s used for small children, close friends (especially girls), grandparents, pets and partners. It’s often attached to shortened or given names: Yuki-chan, Mi-chan.

Using ちゃん for someone you don’t know well, or at work, sounds overly familiar.

さま (sama): very respectful

• ▶︎
  おきゃくさまokyaku-sama
  customer (honoured guest)お客様. You’ll hear it in every shop.
• ▶︎
  かみさまkami-sama
  god / the gods神様.

さま shows great respect. You’ll see it in customer service, on letters and envelopes, and for deities. In normal conversation it sounds very formal; using it for friends is usually a joke.

Titles that replace names: せんぱい and せんせい

• ▶︎
  せんぱいsenpai
  senior (at school, club or work)先輩. Someone who joined before you.
• ▶︎
  こうはいkōhai
  junior後輩. Not used as a form of address.
• ▶︎
  せんせいsensei
  teacher, doctor, master先生. Also for lawyers, politicians, authors.

Both can be used on their own instead of a name: you simply call your teacher “Sensei” and an older club member “Senpai”, or combine them: Tanaka-sensei, Suzuki-senpai. At work, job titles often replace names too: ぶちょう (buchō, department head).

No honorific at all

Leaving the honorific off is called よびすて (yobisute). Between close friends, partners and family it signals intimacy. With anyone else it can come across as rude or arrogant. As a learner, only drop it when the other person clearly invites you to.

Never use honorifics for yourself

Saying “I’m Anna-san” sounds strange, like introducing yourself as “the honourable Anna”. Introduce yourself with just your name: わたしはアンナです. The same goes for your own family members when talking to outsiders: my mother is はは, while your mother is おかあさん.

Overview

Honorifics go hand in hand with polite greetings. Continue with Japanese greetings and how to say thank you.

Frequently asked questions