For pronunciation and definitions of さん – see the following entries.
【参 】 4
[noun] a calling , coming [noun] ( Zen Buddhism ) gathering of Zen members in meditation , preaching , and invocation [affix] check , verify [affix] add , increase , join ( a group , etc. ) [affix] go ( for a specific purpose , for example ) [affix] Short for 参議院 ( Sangiin ) : the House of Councillors (upper house of the Diet )[proper noun] ( Chinese astronomy , rare ) Three Stars constellation , one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions [proper noun] a surname [numeral] ( law ) Financial form of 三 ( san ) : 3 , three [affix] Alternative spelling of 三 ( san ) : 3 , three [affix] Short for 三河 国 ( Mikawa-no-kuni ) : Mikawa Province
(This term, さん ( san ) , is the hiragana spelling of the above terms.)For a list of all kanji read as さん , see Category:Japanese kanji read as さん .)
Derived from 様( さま ) ( sama ) .
さん • (-san
title used after a person's name (family, given or full) or job title, or a company name, to show respect Mr , Ms , Mrs , Miss
Synonym: ( honorific ) さま ( sama ) 山( やま ) 田( だ ) さん Yamada-san ― Mr/Ms Yamada あきら さん Akira-san ― Akira 山( やま ) 田( だ ) あきらさん Yamada Akira-san ― Mr/Ms Akira Yamada 店( てん ) 員( いん ) さん ten'in-san ― Sir/Madam (when talking to a shop clerk ) (literally, “Mr/Ms shop clerk ”)運( うん ) 転( てん ) 手( しゅ ) さん untenshu-san ― Sir/Madam (when talking to a taxi/bus driver ) (literally, “Mr/Ms driver ”)ソニー さん Sonī-san ― Sir/Madam (used in business by people meeting Sony ) ( colloquial ) used after a shop name 学( がっ ) 校( こう ) の 前( まえ ) に 床( とこ ) 屋( や ) さん が ある 。 Gakkō no mae ni tokoya-san ga aru. There's a barber's in front of the school. ( polite ) attaching to nouns or other nominals a politeness marker that often has no direct translation, replacing copula です (desu Synonym: ( honorific ) さま ( sama ) ありがとう さん arigatōsan ― ( polite, uncommon ) thank youUsing someone's name without a suffix may be considered rude; this usage is referred to as 呼( よ ) び捨( す ) て( yobisute ) .
When used after a job name that may refer to either the shop or the master depending on context, it does not restrict animacy . For example, both 「床屋さん が一軒ある。」 ("There is one barbershop.") and 「床屋さん が一人いる」 ("There is one barber (person).") are correct. → English: -san → Korean: 상 ( sang ) → Mandarin: 桑 ( sāng ) 様( さま ) ( sama ) ( more respectful ) ちゃん ( chan ) ( more familiar, especially of young women and children ) 君( くん ) ( kun ) ( more familiar, especially of men ) 殿( どの ) ( dono ) ( more respectful ) さん (san )
山 mountain Generally held to be a combination of an adjective nominalizer suffix cognate to Japanese さ ( -sa ) and the verb 有ん ( an , “ to be, exist, have ” ) .
さん (-san )
Terminal-form ending for inflected adjectives. 白( しる ) さん shirusan It is white.