San, the most common one, could be translated as “Mr.”, “Mrs.” and “Ms.” and is gender neutral. However, you will find that Japanese honorific titles are more complicated to use than it looks and that they cannot be so easily translated.

Beware of the Japanese working environment! In traditional Japanese companies and workplaces, instead of honorific titles, Japanese workers can be addressed by their work titles. Instead of saying Tanaka san”, you would say “Tanaka shacho” to speak about your company president. Check out our Business Japanese Courses if you are interested in learning business Japanese!

San (さん)

San is certainly the first honorific title you will learn when studying Japanese or going to Japan. The usage of san is very wide: the suffix can be added to a person’s characteristic and entities such as a company. For example, a baker could be called by “pan ya san” (literally Mr bread shop).

Sama (さま)

Sama is the respectful version of san, mostly used in business and clientele context. This is since the implied superiority of the guest or customer is very strong. When you send a letter, the recipient’s name will be followed by the kanji “様”. In order to address a group of persons or an audience with respect, sama is attached to “mina” (everyone). This title is also a part of several set of phrases such as “ostukaresama” or “omachidou sama”. You easily understand why the Japanese deities are referred to as “kami sama”. Formal Japanese can be confusing and complex, please take a look at our guide on Japanese Keigo ( Formal Japanese) to learn the proper way of speaking in formal Japanese

Kun (くん)

The informal kun (君) is strictly reserved to young men or juniors although, in a business context, young women can be called “kun” by their superior. Once again, you should always keep in mind the implied hierarchy of a title. Kun is used by a person of a higher status towards a younger male or a child. Friends can also refer to each other by kun in a casual context and women can use it to address a man to whom they are very close.

Chan (ちゃん)

Chan, the childish version of san, refers to children and girls. The change from “s” sound to “ch” is considered cute in Japanese. Like for kun, friends and lovers can also address each other with this honorific. Surprisingly, there are some strange and wonderful exception to chan, as it can be used to refer to an endearing adult. Among the most famous examples, you will find Arnold Schwarzenegger, called Shuwa chan. Fun fact! Chan is also frequently used to refer to cute animals and in particular, cats!