さん、 san

[amirIQ]

Hi,
my name Amir and i'm from Iraq.
I just start learning Japanese using audio course and i stumbled in this word (さん、)(san) it's came after names!
for more explain, when someone ask me a question starting with me name (Amir) he say:-
アミール さん、どこからきましか
the (san) come after my name! i tried Google and Babylon translators but it did not make any sense! it translate it as (three) or (acid)!
anyone can help? thank you very much

[thomas]

Hi Amir,

check out the following threads and links:

honorifics

Equating Japanese honorifics with their Western counterparts

Honorific Suffixes in Japanese - Japan Portal

[amirIQ]

Thank you Thomas for the fast and helpful reply.
どうもありがとうございました

[AKITOD]

Having 'san' after a name is like giving them a title sort of, like perhaps closish to Mr or Mrs. The same way that saying -sensei after a name indicates teacher or -sama after a name indicates king/ruler. So Amir-san is like Mr Amir kinda.

[Mike Cash]

-sama after a name indicates king/ruler.

It does?

[AKITOD]

It does?

Sort of yeah, but I suppose more accurate would be to use it when showing respect for someone much higher in the social hierarchy. Stuff like "Lord" or "King" is often used. Like a character for example the Hokage off Naruto (Tsunade) would be Tsunade-sama.
Kinda means like "the esteemed" Tsunade.

Apparently (i just googled this bit), fan girls use it also when referring to someone of their adoration.

[Mike Cash]

Oh.....excuse me. I didn't realize we were discussing Japanese honorifics usage in the context of escapist fantasy cartoons. I'm all squared away now, thanks.

[Toritoribe]

I'm often called by my fimily name with "-sama" at a store, bank or the reception desk of a hotel, just like 「Family Name様、大変お待たせいたしました」"Family Name-sama, taihen omatase itashimashita." or 「Family Name様でいらっしゃいますね」"Family Name-sama de irasshaimasu ne." I'm neither a king nor a ruler, of course.

[AKITOD]

Oh.....excuse me. I didn't realize we were discussing Japanese honorifics usage in the context of escapist fantasy cartoons. I'm all squared away now, thanks.

I'm not sure if you seem mad or something at me. It's here too it seems, still sounds about right (lol i'm not looking for arguments or anything, i honestly didn't think it would bring up that sort of question).

Japanese honorifics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Mike Cash]

I read the link. Didn't see the part where "sama" means "king" or "ruler".

The point is that basing one's notions of Japanese usage on escapist fantasy cartoons (or comic books) is not a good idea, although it is harmless unless one attempts to answer real-world Japanese usage questions based on it.

[adragast]

To AmirQ: just for info, san also means 3. But of course, this is not the case in this context.

[Mike Cash]

To AmirQ: just for info, san also means 3. But of course, this is not the case in this context.

That's certainly helpful.

You forgot to mention it can also refer to acid, giving birth, and mountains, among other things entirely irrelevant to the question at hand.

[amirIQ]

Thank you all .. i appreciate your kindness and answers.