ちゃん

ちゃん

Japanese

Alternative spelling
chang (Internet slang)

Alternative forms

• (slang) たん (-tan)

Etymology

Variant of personal suffix さん (-san).[1][2][3]

First cited to a work from 1813.[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [t͡ɕã̠ɴ]

Suffix

ちゃん • (-chan) 

1. [from 1813] (familiar or childish, diminutive) title affixed to people's names: -chan

   シュワちゃん

   Shuwa-chan

   Arnie (Arnold Schwarzenegger)

   窓(まど)ぎわのトットちゃん

   Madogiwa no Totto-chan

   Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window

2. [from 1813] title affixed to animals

   くまちゃんと遊(あそ)ぶ

   kuma-chan to asobu

   play with Mr. Bear

Usage notes

• Imparts a sense of affection by the speaker for the referent.
• When affixed to people's names, ちゃん (chan) is most commonly added to names for young women and children.
• When affixed to animal nouns, ちゃん (chan) is most commonly used by children and young women.

Related terms

• ちゃま (-chama), from さま (-sama)

Descendants

• → English: -chan
• → Chinese:

  → Mandarin: 醬／酱 (jiàng)

  → Min Nan: chia̋n

• → Korean: 짱 (-jjang)
• → Russian: тян (tjan)

  → Azerbaijani: tyan

• → Vietnamese: chan

References

1. “ちゃん”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), 2nd edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000, →ISBN
2. “ちゃん”, in デジタル大辞泉 (Dejitaru Daijisen)‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months
3. 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN