さん
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[edit] Japanese
[edit] Kanji reading
さん (san)
[edit] On-reading of:
- 三: three
- 山: mountain
- 産: give birth
- 参: three, participate, visit
- 算: calculation, arithmetic
- 残
- 散: scatter
- 賛: approval
- 操
- 杉
- 酸: acid; oxide
- 尽
- 惨: disaster
- 傘: umbrella; parachute
- 桟: framework
- 蚕: silkworm
[edit] Kun-reading of:
[edit] Nanori-reading of:
[edit] Noun
さん (romaji san)
[edit] Etymology
[edit] Suffix
さん (romaji -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.
- 山田さん - Mr/Ms Yamada. Sex is indistinguishable.
- あきらさん - Also available for first name.
- 山田あきらさん - Mr/Ms Akira Yamada.
- 店員さん - Sir/Madam (literally Mr/Ms shop clerk), when talking to a shop clerk.
- 運転手さん - Sir/Madam (literally Mr/Ms driver), when talking to a taxi/bus driver.
- ソニーさん - Sony, used in business by people meeting Sony.
- (colloquial) Used after a shop name.
- 学校の前に床屋さんがある。
- Gakkō no mae ni tokoya-san ga aru.
- In front of school, there’s a barber’s.
- Gakkō no mae ni tokoya-san ga aru.
- 学校の前に床屋さんがある。
[edit] Usage notes
様 (さま, sama) is used in more formal situation, like sir.
More familiar, one uses 君 (くん, kun), especially of men, or ちゃん (chan), especially of young women and children.
Referring to someone without using a suffix is quite rude, and is called 呼び捨て (よびすて, yobisute).
When used after a shop name, it does not change animacy – the shop is still a shop, even though it is being referred to similarly to a person. Thus, 床屋さんがある (inanimate ある) is correct, while ×床屋さんがいる (animate いる) is incorrect. The usage is similar to English usage of “butcher” or “barber” (or “butcher’s” or “barber’s”) to refer to both the person and the shop – compare “I went to the barber shop,” “I went to the barber’s,” and “I went to the barber.”
[edit] See also
- 様 (さま, sama) (more respectful)
- ちゃん (chan) (more familiar, especially of young women and children)
- 君 (くん, kun) (more familiar, especially of men)
- 殿 (どの, dono) (more respectful)
- どん
- 呼び捨て (よびすて, yobisute)
[edit] Suffix
さん (romaji -san)
[edit] Okinawan
[edit] Noun
さん (san)
