How to Address Japanese Names With さん and 様

Names and addressing people: さん and family name first

Business cards (名刺 meishi) are exchanged with both hands at a first meeting, and they show the name in Japanese order. Many Japanese organisations now print romaji family-name-first as well, often with the surname in capitals.

Short answer: Japanese names put the family name first: 山田太郎 is Mr Yamada, given name Tarō. When you speak to or about someone, add an honorific (a title showing respect) after the name. さん works for almost every adult, like Mr or Ms but without gender. Japanese avoids “you” and uses the person’s name instead: 山田さんは…, “Yamada-san, are you…”.

Family name first

Japanese names are written and spoken family name, then given name. People generally use family names at school and work; given names are kept for family and close friends.

The six honorifics you need

Each honorific attaches directly after a name or title, with no space in Japanese: 田中さん, 鈴木先生. Pick by the person’s age, role and how close you are.

Honorific	Use it for	Not for
さん san	Anyone: the safe default for adults you are not close to.	Your own name, ever.
様さま sama	Customers, clients, the addressee of a letter or email: 田中様.	Friends; it sounds stiff or sarcastic.
くん kun	Boys and young men; juniors at school or work, mainly by seniors.	Older people or superiors.
ちゃん chan	Small children, close friends, family, pets: ゆきちゃん.	Colleagues or anyone you do not know well.
先生せんせい sensei	Teachers, doctors, lawyers, politicians, authors: 佐藤先生.	With さん added: never 先生さん.
先輩せんぱい senpai	Someone who joined your school or company before you.	People who joined after you (they are 後輩 kōhai).

Never use さん for yourself

Honorifics raise the other person, so they are never used about yourself, and in business they are dropped for your own colleagues when talking to an outsider. This in-group and out-group idea (uchi and soto) runs through all polite Japanese.

Introducing yourself

Say your name alone: スミスです “I’m Smith”. The other person calls you スミスさん.

Your own boss, to a client

Inside the company you say 山田部長 or 山田さん. To a client on the phone, you say just 山田は今席を外しております “Yamada is away from his desk”, because Yamada is “your side”.

Titles instead of names

Job and family titles are used on their own, as forms of address. A company president is called 社長, not by name; a shop owner is ご主人 or 店長.

Why not あなた?

あなた means “you”, but saying it to someone’s face can sound distant or even rude, and between couples it means “dear”. Use the person’s name + さん, or their title, and leave “you” out when the meaning is clear.

山田さんやまださんYamada-sanMr/Ms Yamadaはwa(topic)コーヒーkōhīcoffeeをo(object)飲みますかのみますかnomimasu kadrink?

Yamada-san wa kōhī o nomimasu ka.“Do you drink coffee, Mr Yamada?”Why: Speaking to Yamada directly, Japanese still uses his name where English says “you”.

先生せんせいsenseiteacher明日あしたashitatomorrow来ますかきますかkimasu kacome?

Sensei, ashita kimasu ka.“Will you come tomorrow, sir?”Why: Addressing a teacher as 先生 on its own is normal and respectful; no name is needed.

The most common family names

Most surnames describe a place or landscape. These are among the most common in Japan, with the meaning of their kanji.

How names are written

Most Japanese names are written in kanji, and the same name can be written several ways. People often explain which kanji they use.

Common given names

Popular given names change with each generation. These are long-standing favourites.

Names in emails and letters

Written address follows strict forms: company first, then department, then name + 様.

株式会社さくらかぶしきがいしゃさくらkabushiki gaisha SakuraSakura Ltd.

Kabushiki gaisha Sakura“Sakura Ltd.”Why: The company comes first on its own line.

営業部えいぎょうぶeigyōbuSales Department

Eigyōbu“Sales Department”Why: Then the department.

山田やまだYamadaYamada太郎たろうTarōTarō様さまsama(honorific)

Yamada Tarō sama“Mr Tarō Yamada”Why: Full name + 様: never さん in writing.

Check yourself

Try each one, then open the answer to check and hear it.

Call Mr Tanaka politely.
Show answer
Tanaka-san
Address a customer in writing.
Show answer
Yamada-sama様 in letters and emails.
Talk to your teacher, Ms Satō.
Show answer
Satō-senseiNever 先生さん.
Introduce yourself, Smith.
Show answer
Sumisu desu.No さん for yourself.
Ask someone’s name.
Show answer
Onamae wa nan desu ka.

Asking and giving names

お名前は? is the polite, everyday way to ask. お is a polite prefix used when the name belongs to someone else.

お名前おなまえonamae(your) nameはwa(topic)

Onamae wa? · “What’s your name?”Short for お名前は何ですか. Rising intonation makes it a question.

スミスSumisuSmithですdesuam

Sumisu desu. · “I’m Smith.”No さん for yourself, and family name only is normal.

スミスさんSumisu-sanMr Smithのno’s下の名前したのなまえshita no namaegiven nameはwa(topic)

Sumisu-san no shita no namae wa? · “And your first name?”下の名前 is literally “lower name”, from vertical writing where it comes second.

ジョンJonJohnですdesuis

Jon desu. · “It’s John.”Foreign names are written in katakana and adjusted to Japanese sounds.