さん

See also: ざん and Appendix:Variations of "san"

Japanese

Etymology 1

For pronunciation and definitions of さん – see the following entries.

【三】1 [numeral] three, 3 [numeral] third 【三サン】1 [numeral] three

【山】1 [suffix] Mount, Mt. [suffix] suffix for names of mountains [suffix] suffix for a temple's honorific mountain name (山号 (sangō)) [affix] mountain [affix] mine [affix] temple, temple ground [affix] Short for 比叡山 (Hieizan): Mount Hiei

【参】4 [noun] a calling, coming [noun] (Zen Buddhism) a gathering of Zen members in meditation, preaching, and invocation [affix] check, verify [affix] add, increase, join (a group, etc.) [affix] go (for a specific purpose, for example) [affix] Short for 参議院 (Sangiin): the House of Councillors (upper house of the Diet) [proper noun] (Chinese astronomy, rare) the Three Stars constellation, one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions [proper noun] a surname [numeral] (law) Financial form of 三 (san): 3, three [affix] Alternative spelling of 三 (san): 3, three [affix] Short for 三河国 (Mikawa-no-kuni): Mikawa Province

【産】4 [noun] production, giving birth [noun] delivery [noun] assets

【酸】5 [noun] sourness (quality or condition) [noun] (chemistry) acid

【賛】5 [noun] praise, tribute [noun] inscription on picture

【餐】H [noun] eating and drinking

(This term, さん (san), is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.) For a list of all kanji read as さん, see Category:Japanese kanji read as さん.)

Etymology 2

Derived from 様(さま) (sama).

Suffix

さん • (-san) 

1. title used after a person's name (family, given or full) or job title, or a company name, to show respect; Mr, Ms, Mrs, Miss

   Synonym: (honorific) さま (sama)

   山(やま)田(だ)さん ― Yamada-san ― Mr/Ms Yamada

   あきらさん ― Akira-san ― Akira

   山(やま)田(だ)あきらさん ― Yamada Akira-san ― Mr/Ms Akira Yamada

   店(てん)員(いん)さん ― ten'in-san ― Sir/Madam (when talking to a shop clerk) (literally, “Mr/Ms shop clerk”)

   運(うん)転(てん)手(しゅ)さん ― untenshu-san ― Sir/Madam (when talking to a taxi/bus driver) (literally, “Mr/Ms driver”)

   ソニーさん ― Sonī-san ― Sir/Madam (used in business by people meeting Sony)

2. (colloquial) used after a shop name

   学(がっ)校(こう)の前(まえ)に床(とこ)屋(や)さんがある。

   Gakkō no mae ni tokoya-san ga aru.

   There's a barber's in front of the school.

3. (polite) attaching to nouns or other nominals: a politeness marker that often has no direct translation, replacing copula です (​desu)

   Synonym: (honorific) さま (sama)

   ありがとうさん ― arigatōsan ― (polite, uncommon) thank you

Usage notes

• Using someone's name without a suffix may be considered rude; this usage is referred to as 呼(よ)び捨(す)て (yobisute).
• When used after a job name that may refer to either the shop or the master depending on context, it does not restrict animacy. For example, both 「床屋さんが一軒ある。」 ("There is one barbershop.") and 「床屋さんが一人いる」 ("There is one barber (person).") are correct.

Descendants

• → English: -san
• → Korean: 상 (sang)
• → Mandarin: 桑 (sāng)

See also

• 様(さま) (sama) (more respectful)
• ちゃん (chan) (more familiar, especially of young women and children)
• 君(くん) (kun) (more familiar, especially of men)
• 殿(どの) (dono) (more respectful)

Okinawan

Etymology 1

Noun

さん (san) 

1. 山: mountain

Etymology 2

Generally held to be a combination of an adjective nominalizer suffix cognate to Japanese さ (-sa) and the verb 有ん (an, “to be, exist, have”).

Suffix

さん (-san) 

1. Terminal-form ending for inflected adjectives.

   白(しる)さん

   shirusan

   It is white.