other N5 essential casualpolitewritten
さん — polite title suffix
さん
Meaning
- Mr. / Ms. / Mrs. — a respectful suffix attached to a person's name
Key sentence
田中さんは先生です。
Mr. Tanaka is a teacher.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Name (family or given) | Name + さん | 田中 → 田中さん |
| Occupation / shop | N + さん | 本屋 → 本屋さん (the bookseller) |
Examples
山田さん、お元気ですか。
Ms. Yamada, how are you?
お巡りさんに道を聞いた。
I asked the police officer for directions.
When you can't use it
- Never attach さん to your own name, or to your own family members when speaking to outsiders — it expresses respect toward others. ×私は田中さんです.
Easily confused with
Notes
- さん attaches to roles and shop types, not just names: パン屋さん (the bakery), 店員さん (the clerk).
See さん in real sentences
Jengo shows さん the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar.