How to say 'Mr' or 'Ms' in Japanese | さん

Wondering how to say 'Mr' or 'Ms' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Mr or Ms is 'San', written as さん in Japanese.

word

さん

Meaning

Mr, Ms

Reading

San

Explanation

The Japanese suffix 'さん (san)' is a polite and commonly used honorific title added to a person's name or title to show respect. It is gender-neutral and can be used for both men and women. It is appropriate in most social situations, whether formal or informal. For example: Mr. Tanaka「田中さん」(たなかさん). Ms. Yamada「山田さん」(やまださん). It can also be used with occupations, such as 'teacher' (先生, せんせい) becoming 'teacher-san' (先生さん, せんせいさん). However, it is not used with one's own name or when referring to oneself. The nuance of 'さん' conveys politeness and social distance, making it a safe choice in most interactions.

Part Of Speech

suffix

Frequency

Composition

hiragana

Handwriting

Hiragana in the Word さん

This word contains 2 Hiragana characters :

hiragana

さ

Reading

hiragana

ん

Reading

Learn the Word さん

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What does 'San' (さん) mean?

'San' means 'Mr' or 'Ms' .

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