Japanese Honorifics Explained Novels & Stories

Mr Grumpy merely rolled his eyes. I froze, looking between Yaru and the more amused of the party, hoping one of them might explain what I’d done to cause the mirth. “In our culture, to bow is to offer respect or honour for something. We bow to greet, but also when we are given someone’s name.” “Oh,” I said, feeling my cheeks flush with heat. Instantly I wondered if it could be seen through the paint.

They bowed deeply the moment they saw me. “Aniki, konnichiwa,” the older one said, taking my backpack without asking. The direct translation is, “Big brother, good afternoon.” The man was at least five years older than me, but in our world, respect was shown through hierarchy, not age. I nodded in acknowledgment and walked toward the car. I used to be the type who carried my own things and laughed about it. But as the grandson of a feared mafia boss, things were different. If I were too casual with my grandfather's men, they would start to undermine my authority. I learned that the hard way years ago.

Tch. “There are files in my room you can go through…”. No, I did not skid across the floor I was comfortably sitting on just to get away from him. It’s a traditional Japanese home, of course, we are sitting on the floor. I lift my hands in the universal notion for ‘hold on’, then I bow my head and cross my arms over my head to form an ‘X’. If it isn’t clear, I’m communicating how sorry I am that I would not be able to do as he just said.

The dinner progressed flawlessly until the end. The final bill was presented, settled, and the delegation rose, preening slightly at the successful conclusion of their night out. This was it. The moment of the final bow. The highest expression of thanks—the saikeirei—was performed in two parts: a deep, slow bow from the hips, held for three heartbeats, then a slow, controlled rise.

Sasha thought his heart would burst. “How many times have I told you to call me A-chan?” she asked sweetly. She was referring to the honorific “hime” which meant princess and was slightly less formal than “oujo”. The suffix “chan”, on the other hand, loosely translated to little and was a term of endearment used for children, girls and close friends. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I keep forgetting we were childhood friends. It feels like there’s a huge gulf between now and that time. Anyway, what were you playing?”

Akiko muttered as she knelt down again, beginning to clean up the mess in front of her. At the very least, by muttering, Akiko didn't feel like crying so much. *—san : The most common honorific titles that have the same respectful meaning as "Mr.," "Mrs.," "Miss," etc.

"LMAO, my grandma named me. Always wondered why she choose that" "It's a tremendous locale of North Asia, I reckon it implies you're intended to go far and past the pacific and so forth" he said, feeling glad for his interpretation "Well I hope that's true, Yeong" "Are you not gonna use honorifics? We Koreans are exceptionally cautious about that" "Should I call you 'Ahjussi' ?" "Aish, we're probably the same" Yeong crossed his arms over his chest pretending to be annoyed. "Exactly! I guessed it the moment I saw you"

Same sharp eyes, same jawline—just older, more refined, wearing a robe like he had just gotten out of bed. “Gab,” Gino said, “meet my father, Kyoganari Suzuki. Otou-san, this is Gabby.” Father? Suzuki? What universe did I step into? “Nice to meet you, Gabby-chan!” he said warmly. “Please, call me otou-san as well!” My brain short-circuited. Call him… what? “Uh… excuse me?” I managed, completely lost. “Oh! I mean, you may call me Dad. Or Papa. Or chichi. Or father—whichever you prefer!”

"Lyra's right." Yang-zi turned red, and I patted her on the back. "Don't be embarrassed; you already explained to us that it's a Japanese honorific towards someone..." I tried to remember. "What is older than you or has more experience in something, right?"

"Congratulations!" Tadashi froze for a second before a soft smile spread across his lips and a gentle look entered his eyes. His arms circled around her waist. "Mm. Thank you!" Tadashi then pulled back a little and stared deep into her grey eyes. "Igarashi-san... May I address you by your given name?" Naoko felt the warmth in his gaze, turning her smile into one that came from heart. "That would make me happy." "Naoko...-san." Tadashi whispered, keeping the honourific attached.