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People - Part II
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Suffixes to names
While there is some form of respect in Western
society, it is not as prominent as that in Japanese. When addressing
a person, there are many ways a person might refer to them. Often
the last name is used first when talking to people for the first
time. First names are used when there is a friendship between people.
There are various suffixes that can be added to the name as well,
further defining the relationship between the two.
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Common suffixes
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Suffix
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Implication
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Usage
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san
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Most common. Used when talking
to strangers or someone slightly older than you |
Otohime-san
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kun
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A close friendship with that person
in particular. Almost always used with a man's name, though
can be used with a woman's name, to insult her femininity or
to enhance her masculinity |
Keitaro-kun
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chan
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Likewise with '-kun', this implies a close
friendship with that person. Often used with young girls names,
although can be used between childhood friends or to men to
insult them or increase their femininity
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Shinobu-chan
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sama
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Literally 'Lord'. Typically used
when talking about God or people who rule over others one way
or another |
Shishio-sama
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sempai (or senpai)
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'What an underclassman calls an
upperclassman' is the official meaning. Used in business or
where there are clear differences in ranking and level. Can
be used as a word on its own |
Naru-sempai
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sensei
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Literally 'teacher'. Used when
talking to professors, lecturers, teachers or doctors. Can be
used as a word on its own |
Hibiki-sensei
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inchou
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Literally 'class president', a
student-teacher liason. Can be used as a word on its own |
Horaki-inchou
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Less common suffixes
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Suffix
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Implication
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Usage
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hime
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Literally 'princess'. Obvious
use is when referring to royalty. Can be used as a word on its
own |
Yanagi-hime
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ou
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Literally 'King'. Can be used
as a word on its own |
Kenichi-ou
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ouji
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Literally prince. Can be used
as a word on its own |
Vegeta-ouji
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kouhai
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Opposite of 'sempai', what an
upperclassman calls an underclassman. Can be used as a word
on its own |
Sorata-kouhai
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Archaic suffixes
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Suffix
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Implication
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Usage
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dono
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'My lady' or 'My lord', used in
olden times or said by someone who has lived for a long time |
Arashi-dono
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ue
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Prepostion for 'above', a term
of extreme respect for someone who is superior in every way
to the one saying it |
Tsuruko-ue
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