In Japanese society, addressing people is something you don’t want to mess up. When you meet someone new at work and you know the person’s occupational title, such as company president, professor, or division manager, use the title along with his or her family name – for example, “Tezuka-bucho, ohayo!” (Good morning, captain Tezuka!). Following are some examples of occupational titles:
ü shacho – company president
ü bucho – department manager, captain of a team, leader
ü gakucho – university president
ü kocho – principal
ü sensei – teacher
ü tencho – store manager
If you don’t know the person’s occupational title, the safest way to address him or her is to use his or her family name plus the respectful title –san, as in –Fuji-san (Mr Fuji). Sama is even more polite, but it’s too formal and businesslike for most social situations.
Other titles include –chan and –kun but they must be used carefully. Table below shows you which titles are appropriate for friends and acquaintances.
| chan | For children, used after a boy’s or girl’s given name |
| kun | Used after a boy’s given name |
| sama | Used after a superior or customer’s name, regardless of gender. Also used when addressing letters, (Dear…). |
| san | The most common title used, especially when the person’s relationship to you is unclear. |
When introducing themselves, the Japanese give their name first and given name second. Most Japanese people realize that Western names aren’t in the same order, and they don’t expect you to reverse the order of your own name to match the pattern of their names.
If you use the Japanese word for “you” – anata – you’ll sound boastful or rude. Japanese uses names or titles where English uses “you”. Instead of “you”, you can use age- and gender-sensitive terms when addressing strangers in friendly contexts. For example, “ojisan” literally means “uncle”, aged man. The table below shows other general terms you can use to address strangers.
For Japanese, usually there are 2 terms correspond - a polite term and a plain/impolite one. Which term you use depends on the context.
ü When you refer to someone else’s family, use the polite term.
ü To talk about your own family members to people outside the family, use the plain term.
ü When you talk to older family members (other than your spouse) or when you talk about them in an informal way, use a polite term.
For example: You can call your mother by saying, “kaasan! doko ne?” (Mom! Where are you?) or you can ask your mom, “okaa, tousan wa doko?” (Mom, where is Dad?)
Here are some more examples:
Ø Chichi wa o-kane ga arimasu. (My father has no money)
Ø Watashi wa kyoudai ga imasen. (I don’t have siblings)
Ø Otouto wa kyonen kara daigaku ni itte imasu. (My younger brother has been going to college since last year)
Ø Otousan wa itsumo nete iru yo. (My dad is always sleeping)
Ø Shujin wa maishu tenisu o shite imasu. (My husband plays tennis every week)
| Family | gokazoku / kazoku |
| Siblings | gokyoudai / kyoudai |
| Parents | goryoushin / ryoshin |
| Husband | goshujin / shujin |
| Wife | okusan / kanai |
| Young boy | boya / obokchan |
| Young girl | ojousan |
I | |
| I, myself | watashi / atashi |
| I, myself (terms usually used by male) | boku / ore |
| We, us | watashitachi |
| We, us (terms usually used by male) | bokutachi / oretachi |
| Me too, i also | watashimomata |
| We, us | watashidomo |
You | |
| You | anata / anta |
| You all | anatatachi |
| You | kimi |
| You (informal) | omae |
| You, my dear, hey | omaesan |
| You | onushi |
| You (younger person) | kikun |
| You (elder brother) | kikei |
| Your place, you (respectful) | kisho |
| You, dear (what a wife calls a husband) | anata / kihou |
| You (elder brother) | kikei |
| You (younger person) | kika / kikun / kikou |
| He, him | Kare |
| They, them (male and mixed genders) | Karera |
| She, her | Kanojo |
| They them (female) | Kanojora |
Sister | |
| Older sister, (vocative) "miss?" | oneesan |
| Elder sister, waitress, girl | neesan |
| Older sister | aneue |
| Elder sister | aneki / anego / ane |
| Younger sister | imouto / imoutosan |
| Your elder sister | reishi |
| One's elder sister | jikshi |
| Your younger sister | reimai |
| One's younger sister | jitsumai |
| Sister-in-law | aniyome / kojuuto / kojuutome |
| Elder brother's wife | aniyome |
| One's late elder sister | boushi |
| Term of respect in addressing ladies or another’s older sister | kishi |
| Sisters of the same mother, uterine sisters | douboshi |
Brother | |
| Older brother, (vocative) "mister?", (p) | oniisan |
| Cute form of "older brother" | Oniichan / niichan |
| Older brother, (p) | ani / niisan |
| One's senior, elder brother | aniki |
| Eldest brother | choukei |
| Elder brother | anigo |
| My dear brother | akei |
| (My) elder brother | kakei |
| My elder brother | shakei |
| An elder brother, elderly person | sonkei |
| Second elder brother | jikei |
| Middle brother | nakanoani |
| Younger brother | oto / otouto / ototo / otoutosan |
| Young brother | shoutei |
| Young brother | jakutei |
| My younger brother | shatei |
| Your elder brother | reikei |
| Your younger brother | reitei |
| Your younger brother | otoutogo |
| The younger of two elder brothers | chuukei |
| Youngest brother, last disciple | baktei |
| Youngest brother, last disciple | maktei |
| Younger brother's wife | otoutoyome |
| Younger brother's wife | otoyome |
| Brother-in-law | kojuuto / gikei |
| Brother-in-law, stepbrother, sworn brother | gikyoudai |
| Buddy, pal, sworn brother | kyoudaibun |
| Younger brother-in-law, (p) | gitei |
| One's (foolish) elder brother | gukei |
| One's own elder brother, (p) | jikkei |
| One's (biological) younger brother | jiktei |
| My foolish brother | shoutei |
| One's (foolish) younger brother | gutei |
| Defer to another as if an older brother | keiji |
| Wise elder brother, (polite reference to another's older brother, or to one's senior) | kenkei |
| Wise younger brother, (polite reference to another's younger brother, or to one's junior | kentei |
| Honorific title for someone a little older, older brother | taikei |
| Friend treated as younger brother | otoutobun |
| Foster brother and sister | chikyoudai |
| Brothers, one's father's brothers | hakushuku |
| One's deceased elder brother | boukei |
| Mother | |
| Mother | okaasan / okaasama / okaa / kaasan |
| Mother | haha / hahaue / hahaoya |
| (Polite reference to one's own) mother | hahagimi |
| Mother-in-law, foster mother, step mother | gibo |
| Mother-in-law | shuutome |
| Stepmother | keibo / mamahaha |
| Foster mother, adoptive mother | youbo |
| One's mother | ofukuro |
| Real (own) mother | jitsubo |
| One's real mother | seibo |
| One's late mother | senpi |
| Your (his) mother | bodou |
| Old mother, aged mother | roubo |
| Godmother | daibo |
| Surrogate mother | dairihaha |
| Mother's side of family | hahakata |
| Dead mother | nakihaha |
| My late mother | boubo |
| Emperor's mother, virgin mary | seibo |
| Queen mother, empress dowager | koutaikou / koutaigou / taikou |
| Father | |
| Father | otousan / tousan / otou |
| Father | chichi / chichiue / chichioya / chichigimi |
| One's father, old man, one's boss | oyaji |
| (Another's respected) father | Chichigo / tetego |
| Father | fukun / daifu |
| Father, male parent | otokooya |
| One's father | kafu |
| You, your father | sonkou |
| Your father | sonpu |
| Your honored father | genkun |
| Your honored father | genpu |
| Old father | roufu |
| One's father, old man, one's boss | rouya |
| Different father | ifu |
| Father-in-law, | shuuto / gakufu |
| Father-in-law, foster father, stepfather, | gifu |
| Foster father, adoptive father | youfu |
| Godfather | kyoufu / daifu |
| Stepfather | keifu / mamachichi |
| Real (own) father | jikpu |
| One's late father | senkou |
| Deceased father | senpu |
| Someone's father, one's companion | sonkun |
| Father's side of family | chichikata |
| My deceased father, my late father | boufu |
| The (deceased) father of the current emperor | koukou |
| Grandmother | |
| Grandmother, female senior-citizen | obaasan / baasan / obaa |
| Grandmother | sobo |
| Great-grandmother | sousobo / hiibaba / hiooba / hibaba |
| Great-great-grandmother | kousobo |
| Maternal grandmother | gaisobo |
| Grandfather | |
| Grandfather, male senior-citizen, old man | ojiisan / jiisan / jiji |
| Grandfather | ojii / sofu |
| Great-grandfather | sousofu / hiijiji / hiouji / hijiji / daisofu |
| Great-great-grandfather | kousofu |
| Maternal grandfather | gaisofu |
| Deceased (one's late) grandfather | bousofu |
| Aunt | |
| Aunt, middle-aged lady | obasan |
| Aunt (younger than one's parent), | oba / shukubo |
| Aunt (older than one's parent) | hakubo |
| Grandaunt | oooba |
| Uncle | |
| Uncle | oksan / ojiki |
| Middle-aged gentleman, uncle, | ojisan |
| Uncle (older than one's parent) | hakufu |
| Uncle (younger than one's parent), | oji / shukufu |
| Count, earl, eldest brother, uncle, chief official, | haku |
| Parent's younger brother, uncle | otooji |
| Granduncle | oooji |
| Daughter | |
| Daughter | musume / musumesan / ojousan |
| Daughter, young lady | goreijou |
| Eldest daughter | souryoumusume / moujo / choujo |
| Daughter, young lady, virgin, maiden, little girl | otome |
| Younger daughter | imoutomusume / otomusume / otoutomusume |
| Youngest daughter | matsujo |
| Second daughter, | jijo |
| Third daughter | sanjo |
| Your daughter, young lady | reijou |
| Another's daughter, daughter of a high-class family | ojousama |
| An only daughter | hitorimusume |
| (Your, his, her) daughter | sokujo |
| Favourite daughter | manamusume |
| Stepdaughter | mamamusume |
| Adopted daughter, foster daughter | youjo |
| Granddaughter | magomusume |
| One's beloved daughter | aijou |
| Daughter, the eldest daughter, woman | ichijo |
| Bride, daughter-in-law, | yome |
| Filial daughter | koujo |
| Woman, girl, daughter | jo |
| Daughter of a nobleman | himesama |
| Son | |
| Son | musuko / musukosan / obokchan / shisoku |
| Stepson | mamamusuko |
| A boy, eldest son | ichinan |
| An only son | hitorimusuko |
| Second son | jinan / jinanbou |
| Third son | sannan |
| Royal grandson | ouson |
| My (foolish) son | gusoku |
| Son of a distinguished family, son of a noble | onzoushi |
| Child | |
| Child | kodomo |
| Child, small person | shounin |
| Child, small person, (3) narrow-minded person, mean person | shoujin |
| Child, small person, (2) dwarf, | kobito |
| Young person | shousha / wakaimono / wakate |
| Young person, young man | wakoudo |
| Niece | |
| Niece | mei |
| Your niece | reitetsu |
| Nephew | |
| Nephew | oi |
| Nephew (like a son), another child considered as one's own | yuushi |
| Others | |
| Half-brother, half-sister | tanechigai |
| Older brother and younger sister | keimai |
| Half-brother or sister | tanechigai |
| Half-brother or sister, different strain, hybrid | tanegawari |
| Younger brother and sister | teimai |
| (Brother and sister) born of a different mother | harachigai |
| Half-brother or sister | haragawari |
| Brother and sister | keishi |
| Mother and child | boshi |
| Father and child (son) | fushi |
| Brothers, one's father's brothers | hakushuku |
| Father and mother | fubo / yajou |
| Good wife and wise mother | ryousaikenbo |
| Mother's day | hahanohi |
| Father's day | chichinohi |
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