Japanese Addressing People: Remember to Use These Honorifics When Addressing Japanese People

Ever wonder how to properly address people in Japanese beyond using san? You're definitely not alone. The whole system of Japanese honorifics can feel overwhelming at first when starting to learn Japanese, especially when you're trying to figure out whether to call someone by their first name or last name, which suffix to use, and how formal you need to be. Getting this wrong can make things awkward fast. But once you understand the basic patterns, addressing people in Japanese becomes way more intuitive than you'd think.

Why Japanese honorifics matter more than you think

Japanese culture operates on a pretty clear hierarchy system, and the way you address people reflects that structure. When you meet someone in Japan, the words you choose tell them exactly how you view your relationship. Are you equals? Is one person superior? Are you close friends or formal acquaintances?

This works in probably 90% of situations you'll encounter. If you're at a business meeting, talking to a store clerk, or meeting someone for the first time, last name plus san keeps you in the safe zone.

As we mentioned above, Japanese people can be called by adding san to their last names, but in the first place, do you know which one is the last name? This trips up a lot of foreigners. In Japanese, the family name comes first, then the given name.

So Tanaka Yuki means Tanaka is the surname and Yuki is the given name. You'd call this person Tanaka-san in most situations.

The core Japanese honorific suffix you need to know

San (さん): Your default setting

San works for basically everyone. Men, women, colleagues, acquaintances, people at shops, your neighbor. When in doubt, use san. It's polite without being overly formal, and you'll never offend anyone by using it.

You attach it directly to someone's surname: Yamada-san (), Suzuki-san (). In business settings, this is your bread and butter. Even if you've worked with someone for years, you'll probably still use san unless you've developed a genuinely close friendship outside work.

Sama (様): The formal upgraded way to address

Sama is the respectful big brother of san. You'll see this used for customers in service situations (okyakusama - , meaning honored customer), in formal letters, or when addressing someone of significantly higher status.

Most people learning Japanese won't use sama much in daily conversation. It can actually come across as overly stiff or even sarcastic if used in the wrong context. Stick with san unless you're working in hospitality or writing formal business correspondence.

Kun (くん): For junior males (Usually)

Kun traditionally gets used for boys and young men, typically by someone older or of higher status. A teacher might call male students by their last name plus kun. A boss might use kun for younger male employees.

The gendered aspect of kun has loosened up a bit in recent years. Sometimes you'll hear it used for young women in professional settings, though this is way less common. The key thing about kun is that it implies the speaker has some seniority over the person being addressed.

Chan (ちゃん): Affectionate and cute way to address people

Do you call a girl chan or san? Well, chan expresses affection and closeness. Parents use it for their kids, close friends use it with each other, and people use it for babies and small children regardless of gender.

Using chan with someone you've just met would be super weird unless they're a small child. Among adults, chan gets reserved for genuinely close relationships. Women sometimes use chan with female friends they're close to. You might also hear it used for pets.

The suffix chan can attach to first names when you're close enough to use them: Yuki-chan (ゆきちゃん), Hiro-chan (ひろちゃん). Some people even shorten names and add chan for extra cuteness: Yuki becomes Yuu-chan.

Senpai (先輩) and kouhai (後輩): The hierarchy duo

Chan, kun, senpai? These terms reflect the vertical relationships that matter a lot in Japanese culture.

Sensei (先生): Teachers and masters

Sensei applies to teachers, doctors, lawyers, politicians, and anyone who's achieved mastery in their field. Your Japanese language teacher would be called sensei. The doctor at a clinic is sensei. Even manga artists and accomplished writers get called sensei by fans and students.

Unlike other honorifics, sensei often stands alone. You might say "Sensei, shitsumon ga arimasu" ( - Teacher, I have a question) without using their name at all.

First name vs Last name: When the rules change for Japanese names

In Japan, using someone's first name signals serious closeness. We're talking family members, childhood friends, or romantic partners. Even married couples sometimes use last names with each other, especially if they got married later in life.

When you learn Japanese and interact with Japanese people, expect to use last names basically forever unless someone explicitly tells you otherwise. A Japanese friend might say "Please call me Yuki" as a sign they want a closer friendship. Until then, stick with the last name.

Foreign residents in Japan sometimes get a pass on this rule. Japanese people might use your first name because that's what feels natural when speaking English or because Western name order puts the given name first. But when you're speaking Japanese, showing you understand the last name convention demonstrates cultural awareness.

Business settings: Playing it safe

Japanese business culture takes formality seriously.

In meetings, presentations, and emails, you'll use last names with san for colleagues at your level, and sama for clients or important external contacts.

The person's title can also replace the honorific entirely. A department manager might be called buchou ( - department head) instead of their name plus san. "Tanaka-buchou" combines both the name and title.

When you hear people say moshimoshi (もしもし) on the phone, that's the standard telephone greeting in Japanese. In business calls, you'd follow it with your company name and your own name, then ask for the person you need using their full name plus sama: "Tanaka-sama wa irasshaimasu ka?" ( - Is Tanaka-sama available?)

Casual settings: Reading the room

Friend groups, casual hangouts, and relaxed social situations give you more flexibility. Young people especially might drop honorifics entirely among close friends, just using names or even nicknames.

But here's the catch: you need to be actually close for this to work. If you're new to a friend group, keep using san until everyone's comfortable. Watch how Japanese people in the group address each other. If they're all dropping honorifics, you might be able to as well, but let them set the pace.

Some friend groups develop their own patterns. Maybe everyone uses chan regardless of gender, or they've got running nickname jokes. Social dynamics vary way more in casual settings than in business environments.

Family settings: The humility factor

Here's where things get interesting. You never use honorifics for yourself. When introducing yourself, just say your name. The same goes for your family when talking to outsiders.

You'd refer to your own father as chichi ( - father), but someone else's father as otousan ( - honorable father). Your older brother is ani ( - older brother), but someone else's is oniisan ( - honorable older brother).

Common mistakes foreigners make

How to learn common Japanese honorifics naturally

The best way to get comfortable with Japanese honorifics is massive exposure to real Japanese content. Watch Japanese shows, listen to podcasts, read manga. Pay attention to who uses which honorific with whom, and in what situations.

Context teaches you more than rules ever will. Notice how characters in a workplace drama address their boss versus their work friends. Watch how family members talk to each other versus how they address neighbors.

When you learn Japanese through immersion, these patterns start clicking automatically. You develop an intuition for what sounds right in different situations.

If you want to actually practice these honorifics with real Japanese content, Migaku's browser extension and app let you look up words and phrases instantly while watching shows or reading articles. You'll see how native speakers actually use these terms in context, which beats memorizing rules any day. There's a 10-day free trial if you want to check it out.

Use honorifics like a pro

Most Japanese people understand that foreigners are learning and will appreciate your effort to get it right. The goal is natural communication that respects Japanese cultural norms while building genuine relationships. On the other hand, if you're not ready to communicate with native speakers yet, make use of the resources and media on the internet to build confidence.

Stick with san when you don't know what to say!