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Every language has unique means of expressing respect and social standing. Honorific usage is a significant indicator of respect, authority, and interpersonal ties in Japanese. However, this is frequently unclear and challenging to practice when learning the Japanese language. Please continue reading to learn the definitions of the most typical Japanese honorifics, where you can expect to hear them, and how to use honorifics effectively in various contexts, including the workplace. This knowledge can be incorporated into your vocabulary to help you speak with a more natural rhythm.

Titles of Respect

1) Formal Japanese Honorifics

-sama

The most formal honorific suffix, -sama, is reserved for nobility and deities (kami-sama) (ohime-sama). Additionally, you can use -sama to be ironic or flatter others. For instance, creating ore-sama by adding the suffix to the colloquial masculine pronoun for "I" (ore) effectively means "my royal self." Even though these formal Japanese honorifics aren't frequently used in speech (aside from irony), you'll often hear them in songs, TV shows, and movie scripts.

-san

The most frequent formal honorific is -san, which roughly translates to Ms. and Mr. The Japanese suffix san is frequently used among friends and in public places like offices and schools. Additionally, it's used for acquaintances. The safest way to address someone with respect without going overboard is to use the Japanese san suffix.

2) Informal Japanese Honorifics

-chan

This feminine honorific is charming. Even though it's primarily used for kids, relatives and friends use it quite often. All the females in my family use the pronoun "-chan," even my grandmother (oba-chan). Male pronouns can also be used; Tatsumi, one of my second cousins, has always been referred to as Tat-chan rather than Tat-kun, presumably because it sounds more appealing. This ending makes me think of the German diminutive -chen; lieb is love, but liebchen, which is officially little love, is truly lovely. Similarly, you can use the suffix "-chan" to give names and titles a cutesy feel.

-kun

This is the masculine version of the word "-chan," and children, classmates, and friends use it. We don't typically use the -kun suffix (or any suffix) for grown men in the family, although all of the women in my family address one another as -chan. It might be considered a bit too "cutesy."

-bo

Compared to -chan and -kun, this suffix is cuter. It's acceptable to address a male adult as -kun, but it's not good to address him as -b, which is only appropriate for young boys. It is a variation of the word obbochama, which roughly translates to "little lord."

Physical Cues

In Japan, bowing will be the most frequent Japanese body language you see. In addition to being a sign of deference, it is also the standard method to welcome everybody you meet in person, whether they are friends or strangers. In Japan, failing to bow could be interpreted as having poor manners, whereas doing so conveys a sense of modesty and politeness, especially when bowing to a stranger. Starting with a straight posture, the traditional Japanese bow is made. Your upper body should move downward as you make a 45-degree bow. While women typically have their hands folded in front of them, men should keep their hands straight and at their sides.

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South-Korea, a representative of East Asia

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South Korea has a culture founded on valuing respect and status above else.  In Korea, citizens would tend to inquire about age as it dictates how people would approach another person verbally or physically even if their is a small difference between two people. Furthermore, koreans utilize honorific titles to show proper degrees of respect as reflected by their hierarchical system.

Titles of respect

In Korean customs , the title of a person that is spoken to is varied depending on their age, association with you or their social position. First names aren’t employed when referring to a person to present proper level of respect.

Korean suffixes and titles includes ssi, nim, Seonbae, Gwiha, ya, Nari, Jeonha, Hubae, eomeo-nim, etc. which are succeeds the name of the person referring to. The application in communication displays the respect given towards the listener.

Physical Cues

South Korea’s etiquette on verbal communication has a parallel magnitude when it comes to their actions towards other people. The intensity of these cues also depends on the situation as a slight bow indicates a casual greeting or encounter with high-ranking people. While formal interactions require a bend in the waist bow and a deeper bend would present an apology or gratitude.

Shaking hands also observes the significance of the different levels of respect. Koreans use their right hands as it correlates with positivity and the use of the opposite hand is viewed as disrespectful as it links to negativity. Respect is also shown when the right hand is supported by the left hand.

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REFERENCES:

[1] Word Atlas (n.d.). Flags, Symbols & Currency of Philippines. Word Atlas. https://www.worldatlas.com/flags/philippines

[2] Scroope, C.. (2018). Indian Culture. Cultural Atlas. https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/indian-culture/indian-culture-naming

[3] Alchetron. (2021). Indian Honorifics. Alchetron. https://alchetron.com/Indian-honorifics

[4] Evason, N. (n.d.). South Korean culture - greetings. Cultural Atlas. Retrieved November 11, 2022, from https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/south-korean-culture/south-korean-culture-greetings

[5] Japanese Hand Gestures and Body Language and Guide. (2021, January 8). Live Japan. Retrieved from https://livejapan.com/en/article-a0000211/

[6] Dais, J. (2021, November 6). Japanese Honorifics: Formal & Informal Japanese Name Suffixes. Takelessons. Retrieved from https://takelessons.com/blog/japanese-honorifics-z05

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INDIA, a representative from the South Asia

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Known as the second largest country in Asia, India is home to an estimated 1.4 billion people in 2021 which is a mix of several ethnicities based on their region such as “Indo-Aryan” and “Dravidian”. There is also a mix in their honorifics because of the several languages that exist in the country such as Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali and a lot more composing the total of 22 major languages.

·         Titles of Respect

o   Indian honorifics in terms of their linguistic delivery are mainly categorized as titles were it is divided into prefixes, suffixes, and replacements.

o   In using the Prefix type of honorifics, common titles include sri, smt, thiru, and tmd which are read as (sree,  srimati, thiru, and thirumadhi respectively are used based on the gender and marital status of the person they are referring to as they give importance to the proclamation of their societal availability.

o   Known as the traditional suffix used in Hindi, the suffix -ji is used to accompany the name of the person you are referring to as a form of respect to anyone they come across.

o   For the replacement type of honorifics, these are used to compensate for the name of the person you are referring to such as family members or strangers you wish to approach. Examples of these include Baba or Babaji for father, Swami for people who reached renunciation, Pandit for scholar, Sahab and Janab for “sir” in hindi and north Indian languages respectively.

·         Physical Cues

o   A key point in understanding honorifics in the physical setting, Indians are accustomed to greet one another using the traditional Hindi greeting “Namaste” by holding your hands in a prayer position while bowing as a sign of respect and greeting.

o   Another social etiquette that is implemented by Indians is the high importance of respect to their elders where they are expected to greet the most senior person among the group where they bow greatly and touch their feet.

o   People are always thought never to sit higher than an elder. One must learn to adjust their position of sitting preferably on the floor to show respect for the status and seniority of the elder present.

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PHILIPPINES, a representative from the South-East Asia

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Philippines is known for their respect towards one another. Honorifics are highlighted in every interaction that takes place between Filipinos and other nationalities when they do visit the country. Aside from the culture being oriented as being hospitable and close ties between families, they are not only bounded by the famous “po” and “opo” antecedent.

·         Titles of Respect

o   Filipinos are rarely heard calling people by their first names unless it is their close friend or someone very close to their age that they are referring to. People often use general titles when they are talking to someone regardless if they know the person or not.

o   Gender specific titles such as ate, kuya, tito, tita, ninong, ninang, lolo, lola, mang- , ale-, and many more are used before the name of the person they are addressing to. Titles like these are used with respect to the rank in the society depending on the age or in the hierarchy for say in the workplace when they are referring to a colleague or a random stranger.

·         Honorifics in Sentence Structure

o   The highlight of Filipino culture due to its very easy usage of the words “po”, “opo”, and “paki” placed anywhere in the sentence as a way of respect to the people older than the speaker or in the form of rank. An example would be “Pwede po bang paki-abot ng baso?” which translates to “Can you please pass the glass?”

·         Physical Cues

o   Another key-point that is known in the Philippines is “pag-mamano” where people kisses the hands of their elders to show respect upon visiting or meeting.

o   Waving or smiling at the people that seem familiar to you at any given time whether you cross paths with one another on the street. Filipinos are known to be very welcoming at any given moment of time to anyone they meet.