Your Anime Taught You to Call People chan. On a Stranger It Lands Like Calling Your Waiter Sweetie.
To say the default polite name-ending for any adult in Japanese, say 〜さん (-san).
Say 「ちゃん」 to a grown adult you just met in Japan and watch the tiny pause before they answer. Here's the ending that actually works.
〜さん
-san
the default polite name-ending for any adult
In this video
- 田中さん、こんにちは。 tanaka-san, konnichiwa. Hello, Tanaka-san.
- 田中さん、ありがとうございます。 tanaka-san, arigatou gozaimasu. Thank you, Tanaka-san.
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Your App Says It Means "Nice to Meet You." People Say It to Their Dentist.
yoroshiku onegai shimasu · I'm in your hands, please treat me well
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You Came for Conveyor Belt Sushi. Most Chains Stopped Rotating It.
chūmon wa tatchi paneru desu ka? · Do I order on the touch panel?
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Your Etiquette Guide Said Always Use Chopsticks. Nigiri Was Built to Be Eaten With Your Fingers.
te de tabete mo ii desu ka? · Is it okay to eat this with my hands?
Survival
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Tell a Japanese Friend Good News and She'll Yell 'Liar' Right at You
hontō desu ka? · Really?! / For real?
More phrases like this
- You Rented a Car in Japan and Drove Into the Purple Lane. The Barrier Isn't Going Up. · ītīshī kādo wa kariraremasu ka?
- Everyone Here Cycles Under an Umbrella. Since April, That's a Ticket. · kasasashi unten
- A Siren Goes Off Over the Whole Neighbourhood in Japan. One Word in the Announcement Tells You Not to Run. · kore wa kunren desu
- You Had a Bath at a Japanese Home and Pulled the Plug. Three People Were Still Waiting for That Water. · oyu wa nukanaide kudasai
- You Locked Your Passport in the Hotel Safe Like Everyone Said. In Japan That's the Wrong Move. · pasupōto o misete kudasai
- You Asked for the English Menu in Japan. You Just Got the Short Version. · nihongo no menyuu mo onegai shimasu
- You Said No Meat, No Fish. They Said No Problem. Your Miso Soup Still Has Fish In It. · dashi ni sakana wa haitte imasu ka?
- You Ordered One Coffee in an Old Japanese Cafe and Breakfast Turned Up. Nobody Charged You For It. · mōningu, yattemasu ka?
- Your Textbook Taught You the Days of the Week Wrong. Well, Too Long. · kin'you
- Everyone Says You Must Ask Before Reclining on the Shinkansen. The Railway Says There Is No Such Rule. · seki, taoshite mo ii desu ka?
- Your Sushi Video Taught You an Insider Word for Tea. It Belongs to the Guy Behind the Counter. · ocha kudasai
- Haggling in Japan Does Not Work. There Are About Four Places Where It Quietly Does. · mō sukoshi yasuku narimasen ka?
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