Honorifics follow a person’s name and signal familiarity and status. Speakers choose them based on their relationship with the addressee.
This page focuses on manga usage. Real-life usage can differ.
さん: The Polite Default
さん is used to address adults, strangers, and acquaintances. It’s added to surnames in formal or distant relationships and to given names among friends.
ちゃん shows affection and familiarity. It’s used for children, friends, family members such as お母(ちゃん, and pets. It can follow the name of an adult or a male character when the speaker feels close to him. It’s never used for strangers, so ちゃん between characters signals an established closeness.
After piano class, Naoko hurries home only to see a ghostly figure appear from within a lake at the park. She recalls the events to her friends at school.
君( isn’t limited to males. A male teacher may address female students with 君(, and a character may use it for a close friend of any gender. When used toward a girl or woman, it reads as more respectful than ちゃん. A female character may also use 君( for a male character she has known a long time or feels attached to.
The Detective Boys get caught up in a counterfeit money case, taking their new classmate, Ai Haibara, along. After the case is resolved, Conan walks Haibara home, only to discover she’s staying with his neighbor.
Futaba is falsely accused of stealing by a lunch lady, but Tanaka steps in and vindicates her. Soon after, Futaba thanks Tanaka, saying that when she was accused, she was so angry she didn’t know what to do.
双葉(:
「でも田中(くんが怒(ってくれたから気(が済(んじゃった」
“But since you scolded her for me, I felt better.”
After infiltrating a Team Rocket hideout, Red, Green, and Blue take on the various Gym Leaders inside, including Machisu, Natsume, and Kyou. A couple of Team Rocket grunts discuss the fallout.
したっぱ 1:
「マチス様(だけでなくキョウ様(も倒(された。 おまけに…ビルに炎(をはなったようだ!」
“Not only Master Machisu, but Master Kyou was defeated too. On top of that... it looks like they set fire to the building!”
Akatsuki asks Akari for a gondola ride to his destination. Along the way, he asks whether he’ll make his deadline. Akari suggests Alicia should take over, but Akatsuki says he’s Akari’s customer (and paying the cheaper fare). Realizing her responsibility, Akari turns the gondola around so she can use her high-speed backward rowing. Alicia apologizes to Akatsuki for the turnaround.
アリシア:
「今(からお客様(の視界(を遮(る漕(ぎ方(をさせてもらいます」
“From now on, she'll be using a rowing technique that blocks your view.”
Alicia and Akari visit an island that’s modeled after part of Japan back on Earth. There, an elderly local woman tells the two of the fox spirits that visit the human world there. Akari is excited at the prospect of meeting one, but the old woman gives her a warning: on rare occasion, a fox will take a person back home with them.
おばあさん:
「神(さまの世界(と人間(の世界(は違(うやさかい」
“The god world and the human world are different.”
先生( is used for teachers, doctors, lawyers, politicians, and other authority figures, as well as for accomplished creators such as novelists and manga artists. The title acknowledges the person’s profession or mastery.
In a snow-covered mountain villa, a room full of suspects listen as Detective Mouri explains how their host was murdered. The accused notes she has a receipt showing she was at the convenience store at the bottom of the mountain when the murder took place.
Fuu finds herself spirited away to another world, along with two other girls. A wizard appears before them, saying they cannot return home until they accomplish a specific goal.
風(:
「困(りましたわ。 わたし 先生(に提出(するレポート作成(が残(ってますのに」
“Oh dear. I've still got to write that report to hand in to the teacher...”
海(:
「もう 戻(れないならレポートの心配(なんてしなくていいんじゃないの?」
“If we can't go back anyway, isn't there no point worrying about the report?”
Kei’ichi is excited to spend four days at the beach with his university automobile club and Belldandy. His mood changes when he hears Sayoko call out to him.
螢一(:
「田宮(先輩(まさか美術部(と合同(でやるんじゃないでしょうね」
“Tamiya, don't tell me we're doing this with the art club!”
田宮(:
「ん……ああ。自動車部(を題材(にしたいっていうから…… それに女(の子(がいた方(が嬉(しい…」
“It's because they said they wanted to use the automobile club as a subject... Additionally, I'm happier having girls here.”
During a free day from training, Touwata and Mizubashou approach Tsubaki to request a favor. She would like Tsubaki to challenge Benisumomo to a one-on-one fight.
トウワタ:
「そのですね… ベニセンパイは才能(があるのにそれにかまけて、ぜんっぜん努力(しないんです。」
“Well, you see... Beni-senpai has talent, but she takes it for granted and doesn't put in any effort at all.”
「いっつも一人(で昼寝(するってどっか行(って。」
“She always go off somewhere to take a nap alone.”
As they start a shogi game after school, Ayumu hears Urushi’s stomach growl. She pretends there wasn’t a sound, but Ayumu realizes she’s hiding that she’s hungry. If he can avoid embarrassing her, Ayumu has the solution in his school bag.
後輩( names the junior member of the pair. Unlike 先輩(, it functions as a relationship noun rather than an honorific attached to a person’s name.
呼び捨て: Dropping Honorifics
呼(び捨(て means calling someone by their bare name, without an honorific. Family members, close friends, and couples use it to show intimacy and trust. When characters switch from さん or 君( to 呼(び捨(て, the change can mark a new stage in their relationship.
Conan needs to investigate a bomb set to go off on the train, but being a child restricts his ability to move around and gather information. He decides he needs to reveal his true self to Ran, but when he addresses her as simply “Ran”, she corrects him to add “ねえちゃん” to her name.
蘭(:
「ダメよ。年上(の人(呼(び捨(てにしちゃー。」
“That's no good. You shouldn't call older people by their first name alone.”