The -chan, -kun, -san, and so forth in names.

Drabaz · Post by **Drabaz** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 8:28 pm

What do -chan, -sa, -kun, and so forth mean? They are used at the end of every characters name. And I know it is not just used in DB, but in Japanese culture itself. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe they have somthing to do with the kind of respect sombody has towards the character whos name they are calling. What I really want to know is if anyone could just give a quick run-through of either all or most of the names and when sombody would use it. Also when sombody doesn't use it, does it mean that person doesn't have any respect for the person or that they are good friends that they feel that they don't need to use it?

BlueSky · Post by **Kaboom** » Tue Jul 24, 2007 8:51 pm

Well, here's my chance to explain honorifics. I'm testing my own knowledge just as much as I am informing Drabaz, so I don't and won't mind being corrected, if need be.

What these things are, are title honorifics. They're the equivalents of saying things such as "Mr" or "Mrs" or "sir" in English along with a person's name, except they hold a great deal more significance in terms of manners and custom in Japan. To NOT use an honorific when addressing someone requires a great, extremely close, mutual intimacy with that person, and to not use it can be, and usually is, seen as an insult.

So on to specifics, and their uses in DragonBall.

"-San" - A very common one. This is the basic, all-purpose "Mr." or "Mrs," from what I understand. Unless someone is of obviously higher rank or social standing than you, then "-san" is usually appropriate, as it's slightly on the formal side, at least enough to be safe.

The most famous use of it in DragonBall is Gohan's addressing Piccolo with "Piccolo-san," which FUNimation well-translated into "Mr. Piccolo."

EDIT: "-Sa," as used by Chi-Chi when addressing Goku, is actually an example of the hick accent that the two of them use.

"-Kun" - "-Kun" is a less formal one. It's usually used between friends, and then usually between boys, but it can also be used as a general way of adressing someone on a lower rank or standing than you, in a casual manner.

[iDragonBall examples would be of Bulma calling Goku "Son-kun," and Goten using it with Trunks.

"-Chan" - Another informal one. In a friendly manner, it's usually used to refer to or between girls. It can also be used to address some of a much lower standing or rank than you. It can be used as an insult in certain situations, too (i.e. Naruto taunting Sasuke during one of their fights by calling him "Sasuke-chan").

Only example I can think of from DragonBall is Grank Kaio using "-chan" with Goku and Paikuhan. Oh, and Chi-Chi uses "Gohan-chan," at least early in the series.

"-Sama" - On the opposite side of the spectrum from -kun and -chan, we have -sama. It's a formal honorific, used to address someone of a higher ranking or social standing. The equivalent of "sir" or "lord" someone or other.

DragonBall has this used fairly often, what with all the deities and wise old masters floating around. There's "Kami-sama," "Kaio-sama" (a.k.a. "King Kai," a decent and fitting translation, IMHO), "Saichoro-sama" ("Great Elder," a great translation), and so on.

[/list]
There are other, more minor and uncommon ones used in DragonBall here and there, but those are the basic ones you asked about, at least.

Chuquita · Post by **Chuquita** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 2:15 am

My favorite use of "-chan" in Dragon Ball: http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/174/ ... hanpo9.jpg

Shame they cut it out once they released the volume itself. >_>

Post by **desirecampbell** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 2:33 am

Chuquita wrote:My favorite use of "-chan" in Dragon Ball: http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/174/ ... hanpo9.jpg

"Milking the suspense".

*facefault*

Duo · Post by **Duo** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 4:27 am

That just reminded me how awesome the translation of the Manga was for the first 10 volumes. Makes me want to cry the standard fell afterwards.

Humpski · Post by **Humpski** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 7:13 am

Chuquita wrote:My favorite use of "-chan" in Dragon Ball: http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/174/ ... hanpo9.jpg

Shame they cut it out once they released the volume itself. >_>

At least it's still in the anime.

Chuquita · Post by **Chuquita** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 5:15 pm

Duo wrote:That just reminded me how awesome the translation of the Manga was for the first 10 volumes. Makes me want to cry the standard fell afterwards.

I blame Viz's Shounen Jump. That and their catering to the younger crowd which happened soon after that magazine came out. >_>

Though admittedly I purchased it for the Dragon Ball chapters until they took the series out of the magazine altogether.

Super Sonic · Post by **Super Sonic** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 8:18 pm

The part SSJ Kaboom mentioned about not using them comes up a few times in DB I recall. Yajirobe yells at Goku when they first meet because he wasn't using one. Need to look at the dvd again to see how the dub handled it, but the English manga had him yelling for not calling him "Lord". Bulma gets on him about it too I'm assuming in chpt. 3 of the manga. Don't know how the conversation goes in the Japanese version, but the English manga had her say, "For one thing, what's with the familiar tone!? For another, I'm older and much more sophisticated than you! You should call me "Miss"! Don't know if she meant "-san" or "-sama" but it goes over Goku's head with a pun in the English version, and she then drops the subject.

Tatsunoboshi Horoko · Post by **Tatsunoboshi Horoko** » Wed Jul 25, 2007 11:09 pm

This is what you're speaking of, correct?

Goku: まだ－？おまえのろいな－カメになっちゃうぞ
Bulma: うるさいわね。なにがカメ！だいたいね、あんた早起きすぎんのよ！それとさあ「おまえ」っていうのやめてくれる！？わたしのほうがふたつも年上なんだから。「ブルマさん」って呼んでほしいわね！
Goku: いいにくいからやだ
Bulma: どこがいいにくいのよっ！

Goku: Still? You sure are slow...You're turning into a turtle.
Bulma: Shut up. Who's a turtle?! For one thing, you wake up way too early! And, you know, would you quit it with the informal "you" stuff!? I am two years older than you are. I'd appreciate it if you'd call me "Bulma-san"!
Goku: I don't wanna, it's too hard to say.
Bulma: How is it hard to say?!

She gets upset for calling her "omae" instead of "Bulma-san," which would be the more formal way to address a person older than you. Goku, simple idiot that he is, basically shoots back a "don't wanna, not gonna" response. *Insert laugh track here*

Dragon Ball Daisuki · Post by **Dragon Ball Daisuki** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 6:42 am

Quick question: I've also heard that 'chan' can be used as a term of endearment among lovers. Is there any truth to this?

Post by **desirecampbell** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 10:29 am

Dragon Ball Daisuki wrote:Quick question: I've also heard that 'chan' can be used as a term of endearment among lovers. Is there any truth to this?

As so far as I know, not especially - but "-chan" carries connotations of cuteness, which is common for couples.

As an example, in 'Sakura Diaries' Urara ('Oo la la'?) calls her cousin/lover as 'Tonma-chan'.

Of course, all of my information comes from anime -so I could very easily be wrong about everything.

Tatsunoboshi Horoko · Post by **Tatsunoboshi Horoko** » Fri Jul 27, 2007 11:58 am

Yeah, that's pretty much correct.

I used to see so many of these types of threads elsewhere. The information from Wikipedia, I found, is a lot more detailed than I thought: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_titles

Shenron · Post by **Shenron** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 12:48 pm

If I can recall correctly, after their flying lessons, Videl calls Gohan "Gohan-kun". Could it be a mix of affection + superiority ?
Because I think she was calling him "Son Gohan" when they first met, then "Son Gohan kun".

BlueSky · Post by **Kaboom** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 12:49 pm

Shenron wrote:If I can recall correctly, after their flying lessons, Videl calls Gohan "Gohan-kun". Could it be a mix of affection + superiority ?
Because I think she was calling him "Son Gohan" when they first met, then "Son Gohan kun".

Not sure. She probably started calling him "Gohan-kun" once she started liking him.

Mr. Announcer · Post by **Mr. Announcer** » Sat Jul 28, 2007 1:35 pm

It's not unusual for students to refer to their male schoolmates as "kun", especially if they are female students.

Ex-Dubbie369 · Post by **Ex-Dubbie369** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 7:47 pm

Mr. Announcer wrote:It's not unusual for students to refer to their male schoolmates as "kun", especially if they are female students.

In the event that the person is addressed as "Kun," is it more common to call them by their surnames, sorta like how Bulma calls Goku Son-kun.

Post by **desirecampbell** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 8:02 pm

Is '-kun' generally less formal, or more formal than simply using the person's name? I get that it's less formal, but that seems to contradict the logic in using it with the last name (instead of the first name).

Mr. Announcer · Post by **Mr. Announcer** » Sun Jul 29, 2007 10:03 pm

Well it's really hard to say because it's not always used for the same reasons. For example, like it was stated before "kun" can be used to refer to someone of lower rank, like a teacher addressing a student, but it can also be used among friends in which case it may be just as formal or even less formal than simply using the person's name. It's really just dependent on context.

Drabaz · Post by **Drabaz** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 1:38 am

Thanks for all the information guys. It really helps a lot.