さん
See also: ざん and Variations of "san"
さん - Japanese
Suffix
さん • (-san)
- A title used after person's name (first name or surname) regardless of sex; Mr, Ms, Mrs, Miss. Also used after a job title and a company name.
- Synonym: (honorific) さま (sama)
- 山田さん ― Yamada-san ― Mr/Ms. Yamada
- あきらさん ― Akira-san ― Akira
- 山田あきらさん ― Yamada Akira-san ― Mr/Ms. Akira Yamada
- 店員さん ― ten'in-san ― Sir/Madam (lit. "Mr/Ms. shop clerk"; used when talking to a shop clerk.)
- 運転手さん ― untenshu-san ― Sir/Madam (lit. "Mr/Ms. driver"; used when talking to a taxi/bus driver.)
- ソニーさん ― Sonī-san ― Sir/Madam (used in business by people meeting Sony.)
- (colloquial) Used after a shop name.
- (polite) attaching to nouns or other nominals: a politeness marker that often has no direct translation, replacing copula です (desu)
Usage notes
- 様 (sama) is used in more formal situations, like sir.
- Referring to acquaintances without using a suffix is considered rude, and is called 呼び捨て (yobisute).
- When used after a job name which refers to either the shop or the master depending on the context, it does not restrict animacy. For example, when referring to 床屋 (tokoya) (the barber shop or the hairdresser), both 床屋さんが一軒ある (inanimate ある (aru)) and 床屋さんが一人いる (animate いる (iru)) are correct.
Descendants
さん - Okinawan
Noun
さん (romaji san)
Suffix
さん (romaji -san)
- Terminal-form ending for inflected adjectives.
- 白さん
- shirusan
- It is white.
- 白さん