Japanese [ edit ]
Etymology 1 [ edit ]
For pronunciation and definitions of さん – see the following entries.
【参 】 4
[noun] a calling , coming
[noun] ( Zen Buddhism ) a gathering of Zen members in meditation , preaching , and invocation
[affix] check , verify
[affix] add , increase , join ( a group , etc. )
[affix] go ( for a specific purpose , for example )
[affix] Short for 参議院 ( Sangiin ) : the House of Councillors (upper house of the Diet )
[proper noun] ( Chinese astronomy , rare ) the Three Stars constellation , one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions
[proper noun] a surname
[numeral] ( law ) Financial form of 三 ( san ) : 3 , three
[affix] Alternative spelling of 三 ( san ) : 3 , three
[affix] Short for 三河 国 ( Mikawa-no-kuni ) : Mikawa Province
(This term, さん , is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.)For a list of all kanji read as さん , see Category:Japanese kanji read as さん .)
Etymology 2 [ edit ]
Derived from 様( さま ) ( sama ) .
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( やま ) 田( だ ) さん ― Yamada-san ― Mr/Ms. Yamada
あきら さん ― Akira-san ― Akira
山( やま ) 田( だ ) あきらさん ― Yamada Akira-san ― Mr/Ms. Akira Yamada
店( てん ) 員( いん ) さん ― ten'in-san ― Sir/Madam (lit. "Mr/Ms. shop clerk"; used when talking to a shop clerk. )
運( うん ) 転( てん ) 手( しゅ ) 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.
学( がっ ) 校( こう ) の 前( まえ ) に 床( とこ ) 屋( や ) さん が ある 。 Gakkō no mae ni tokoya-san ga aru. In front of school, there’s a barber’s.
( polite ) attaching to nouns or other nominals : a politeness marker that often has no direct translation, replacing copula です (desu )
Synonym: ( honorific ) さま ( sama )
ありがとう -さん ― arigatō-san ― ( polite, uncommon ) thank you
Usage notes [ edit ]
様( さま ) ( sama ) is used in more formal situations, like sir .
More familiarly, one uses 君( くん ) ( kun ) , especially of men, or ちゃん ( chan ) , especially of young women and children.
Referring to acquaintances without using a suffix is considered rude, and is called 呼( よ ) び捨( す ) 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( とこ ) 屋( や ) ( 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 [ edit ]
→ English: -san
→ Chinese:
→ Mandarin: 桑 (sāng )
→ Korean: 상 ( sang )
See also [ edit ]
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 )
Okinawan [ edit ]
Etymology 1 [ edit ]
さん (san )
山 : mountain
Etymology 2 [ edit ]
Generally held to be a combination of an adjective nominalizer suffix cognate to Japanese さ ( -sa ) and the verb 有ん ( an , “ to be, exist, have ” ) .
さん (-san )
Terminal-form ending for inflected adjectives.
白( しる ) さん shirusan It is white.