Yahoo Answers is shutting down on May 4th, 2021 (Eastern Time) and beginning April 20th, 2021 (Eastern Time) the Yahoo Answers website will be in read-only mode. There will be no changes to other Yahoo properties or services, or your Yahoo account. You can find more information about the Yahoo Answers shutdown and how to download your data on this help page.

Japanese language question?

I'd like to know the answer to these Japanese language questions, thanks.

Chan and kun, what are there meanings? I already know that san is mr, mrs etc, and that kun is also aimed at the families name (last name). but yeah what are there meanings?

The other term for Sorry there is gomen nasai (sorry) and an other that sounds like sumi nasai, i think it sounds like oyasumai nasai but that cant be right because its meaning is good night.

4 Answers

Relevance
  • ?
    Lv 4
    10 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    So, in Japanese you have a lot of honorifics. Chan would be an honorific for younger girls (ex: Rin-chan from Usagi Drop :) Kun would be an honorific for younger boys. (ex: Domo-kun XD --> but that's not a great ex.) Sorry can be gomennasai, or sumimasen (excuse me/sorry) but it means something slightly diferent than gomennasai.

  • 10 years ago

    Chan, used with people you are close too, family members babies, pets, people younger than you etc.

    Kun, typically used for boys your age to express closeness without using chan. Rules on this vary, as it can sometimes be used with girls, it is a level of closeness between san and chan

    Sama, is a more respectful version of san.

    San, respectful way to refer to a person.

    All honorifics (above) can be used with family (last) or given (first) names in Japan it is family name, then given name.

    Gomen nasai: I am sorry.

    Gomen: Sorry

    Sumimasen: Excuse me/I am sorry [for bothering you]

    Oyasumi nasai: Good night/get some rest

    Ohayo gozaimasu: Good morning

    Konbanwa: Good evening

    Konnichiwa: Good afternoon/hello

    Source(s): studying Japanese
  • 10 years ago

    I think the chan and kun have been answered pretty well already, so I can tell you about gomennasai and sumimasen.

    Gomennasai is when you're apologizing for something you've done. Sumimasen is more of 'excuse me'. You use Sumimasen when you're getting through a large crowd and you're going through a lot of people, you use it when you come late to places or when you want to go into some person's house.

    Gomennasai is a lot more sincere than sumimasen, and you use it when you're purely apologizing for something you've done.

  • 10 years ago

    Both "chan" and "kun" are honorifics put at the end of names for adressing people that are younger than you. "Chan" is typically used towards young girls, while "kun" is used towards young boys in most cases.

    Source(s): Learning Japanese. :)
Still have questions? Get your answers by asking now.