さん
See also: ざん and Appendix:Variations of "san"
Japanese
Etymology 1
For pronunciation and definitions of さん – see the following entries. | ||||||||||||||
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(This term, さん, is an alternative spelling of the above Sino-Japanese terms. For a list of all kanji read as さん, not just those used in Japanese terms, see Category:Japanese kanji read as さん.) |
Etymology 2
Derived from 様 (sama).
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.
- 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.
- 学校の前に床屋さんがある。
- (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
- 様 (sama) is used in more formal situations, like sir.
- More familiarly, one uses 君 (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
- → English: -san
- → Chinese:
- → Mandarin: 桑 (sāng)
- → Korean: 상 (sang)
See also
- 様 (sama) (more respectful)
- ちゃん (chan) (more familiar, especially of young women and children)
- 君 (kun) (more familiar, especially of men)
- 殿 (dono) (more respectful)
Okinawan
Noun
さん (romaji san)
- 山: mountain
Etymology 2
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”).
Suffix
さん (romaji -san)
- Terminal-form ending for inflected adjectives.
- 白さん
- shirusan
- It is white.
- 白さん