Chan, sempai, kun, sama etc, what do they mean?

Question

what do all the endings mean? Like "Nagisa-chan" but someone else might call her "Nagisa-sama" etc etc

why is it diff for some people and are characters sgenerally called by their last names?

Answer 1

The endings are just a way to show a persons status in society and calling someone by their last name is formal and usually done to strangers (if you call someone by their first name in japanese culture you're fairly close) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_ho... Some can be just for looks or a cute expression though.

Answer 2

Chan- An honorific usually used with very young boys or girls, denotes a young female usually.

Sempai- An upper-classman or more experienced person in your field.

Sama- Person of great importance usually used when talking to someone you look up to or someone like a doctor or someone of nobility (nobility can also be dono which is sort of like a step up from sama)

Kun- denotes boy-like cuteness, usually used by a female character when talking to a person she likes.

Sensei- Used when talking to a teacher or professor.

San- Used when talking to someone you have just met or are not good friends with, han is also a form of san but is used only in certain parts of Japan (Nippon in Japanese :D)

There are variants for all of these, like a different form of Kun is Bozu with usually means something more like "brat." For more info on Japanese honorifics check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_ho...

Characters who call other by their last name either prefer to do so or do not feel they are close enough to that person to call them by their first name. If it different for some people because of the different relationships the person may have with different people.

Have a nice one ^ ^

Answer 3

They're called honorifics are polite ways to address other people in Japan. To not have an honorific attached to your name usually means the one addressing you is an intimate friend or family member; anyone other than that to address you that way would be considered very rude.

chan- used to express endearment towards girls usually. Also used for little boys, pets, and even lovers.

sempai- used to address one's senior in a group, like a student addressing an upper-classmen.

kun- used to address boys of familiarity or endearment

sama- used to address those for whom you have great respect

san- one of the most common honorifics, it's basically Mr. or Ms. in Japanese

These are some of the most common ones I know of, BTW this is all knowledge obtained from watching anime, so forgive me if I'm a bit off.

Answer 4

well, what you end a persons name with will all depend on your relationship with that person.

I know "sempai" would be "teacher" or someone of higher rank than you,  I THINK "chan" at the end means something like, "aquaintence" or a friend you arent all that close too.

this one i am the least sure of but i think maybe "kun" mean something like "one close to me" or someone you hold dear that isnt family

Answer 5

[-san: this is the most common honorific, and is equivalent to mr., miss, ms., mrs., etc. it is the all-purpose honorific and can be used in any situation where politeness is required

-sama: this is one level higher than '-san.' it is used to confer great respect.

-dono: this comes from the word 'tono,' which means 'lord.' it is even a  higher level than '-sama,' and confers utmost respect.

-kun: this suffix is used at the end of boys' names to express familiarity or endearment. it is also sometimes used by men among friends, or when addressing someone younger or of a lower station.

-chan:this is used to express endearment, mostly towards girl. it is also used for little boys, pets, and even among lovers. it gives a sense of childish cuteness.

sempai: this title suggests that the addressee is one's 'senior' in a group or organization. it is most often used in a school setting, wehre underclassmen refer to their upperclassmen as 'sempai.' it can also be used in the workplace, such as when a newer employee addresses an employee who has seniority in the company.

kohai: this is the opposite of '-sempai,' and is used towards underclassmen in school or newcomers in the workplace. it connotes that the adressee is of lower station.

sensei: literally meaning 'one who has come before,' this title is used for teachers, doctors, or masters of any profession or art.

-[blank]: usually forgotten in these lists, but perhaps the most significant difference between japanese and english. the lack of honorific means that the speaker has permission to address the person in a very intimate way. usually only family, spouses, or very close friends have this kind of permission. known as YOBISUTE, it can be gratifying when someone who has earned the intimacy starts to call one by one's name without an honorific. but when that intimacy hasn't been earned, it can also be very insulting]

oniisan/niisan=older brother

oneesan/neesan=older sister

okaasan/kaasan=mother

otousan=father

{note: for family honorifics, there are different variations depending of the level of respect. you can find all the variations and descriptions of their use by clicking the second link below}

there's a great list of family honorifics here: http://www.kyokipress.com/wings/honorifi...

http://anime.mikomi.org/wiki/HonorificsE... (with more in-depth explanations)

hope this helps. good luck!!