Super Special Awesome Lesson Notes!!
We've learned a lot of things this chapter. In case you were wondering, here are a few notes on some various beginner things.
Pronouns
The following is a list of pronouns used in the Japanese language:
1st Person Singular: わたし／私 (watashi/watakushi)* — I
2nd Person Singular: あなた (anata)* — You
3rd Person Singular: かれ／かのじょ (kare/kanojo) — He/She
1st Person Plural: わたしたち (watashitachi) — We
2nd Person Plural: あなたたち (anatatachi) — You (all)
3rd Person Plural: かれら／かのじょら (karera/kanojora)* — They (male)/They (female)
*In the case of わたし／わたくし, both can be used to refer to yourself, but わたくし is more formal. In the case of あなた, this word is hardly ever used in the context presented. It is much more preferable to use the person's name to refer to them instead of あなた.
Ex. X あなたはがくせいですか。
(Anata wa gakusei desu ka.)
Are you a student?
O ケイさんはがくせいですか。
(Kei-san wa gakusei desu ka.)
Is Kei-san a student?
Titles
As far as titles go, there are roughly four common titles that you would probably hear on an everyday basis. These are:
~さん (san) — Arguably the title most people who have even heard of Japanese are aware of. This is used as a basic catch-all title to show that you're respectful of the other person. It is often translated as "Mr./Ms."
~くん (kun) — Kun is used to refer to boys (i.e. Spikey-kun). It is also used in the workplace to refer to people that work under you, be they male or female. (For example, Adam could call me Kei-kun, but I would likely slug him.)
~ちゃん (chan) — Chan is a suffix that is primarily used for young girls, though if you're thinking about hitting on a cute girl "subtly", you can call tack ~chan on to her name. It can also be used as an insult if tacked onto a boy's name.
~さま／様 (sama) — This is a formal title that is used with people that are higher on the food chain than you. It is also used by employees that are talking to clients and suchlike. It is also used in letters as part of the opening greeting.
