a question about the japanese language??

Question

I have been wondering what the words behind names mean.
I mean, for example, somebody's name is Hideki.
There is Hideki-san, Hideki-kun, Hideki-bocchama, Hideki-senpai, Hideki-chan, Hideki-sama and so on and so forth.
Can anyone tell me what the differences are between these?? And if there are anymore denotions behind names????

Arigatou! ^^

Answer 1

HIDEAKI is a Japanese name meaning "shining excellence; splendid brightneess"

san, kun, senpai, chan, sama, etc are suffixes. It should be first pointed out that the use of these suffixes in anime and manga is not highly consistent with the actual use in Japan.

They give an indication between the speaker and the person they are talking to/about. In order of relative social position they go -chan then -kun (both used if the speaker is higher or on the same level as the subject), -san generally between semi-equals/strangers or when nothing else suits well (equal to Mr/Miss/Mrs/Ms), -dono indicates some respect, and -sama even more - for example God (kami) is referred to as kami-sama

The choice of which suffix to use depends on the speaker's character (normal polite, rude, very polite), their attitude to the listener (normal politeness, respectful, humble, abusive, addressing down), their positions in society and in what situation they are talking in (one to one, among close friends, among colleagues, among strangers, public).

Also, certain suffixes are common in a particular relationship (for example, boys often address their girlfriends with -chan), so the speaker may use the more generic -san instead to avoid confusion. For example, Ryöga address Akane as 'Akane-san' because the only other one that could be used politely is -chan, but only if they were very close.

Teenage boys are often referred to with -kun by their peers/social superiors. Girls may sometimes to referred to with -kun, but only by their social superiors - Kunö and Genma use -kun when talking to/about Akane.

Between those with a close/intimate relationship, -chan is often used, eg Akane to her sisters, parents may use it to their children (or no suffix at all), between one female friend and another, by an adult to a girl and by boys to their girlfriend.

Answer 2

The person's name in this example is Hideki. The suffixes are all what are termed by linguists as "honorifics" "Hideki-san" is the normal everyday means of addressing Hideki by acquaintences, "Hideki-kun" might be used by his close friends and family. When Hideki was a small child, they may have called him "Hideki-chan". "Sama" denotes someone in a higher position than the speaker, so "Hideki-sama" would be quite unusual. The speaker would probably use Hideki's family name, such as "Suzuki-sama". So, as you see, which honorific to use depends on your relationship to the speaker. If you're not sure which is correct, use "-san".

Answer 3

you can also have :
- sensei if this person is a teacher or doctor
- dono : from adult to younger person
- bocchama : the little man of the house. Often used if the head of the house is a rich man.

For girls : hime ( princess ), ojou ( miss )

For both : kouhai : the opposite of senpai so from older students to sophomores