Honorifics

In the localization for Persona games, honorifics are often used in English for flavor. As it's a quirk of localization the majority of us enjoy emulating from anime media, we're including a guide here. They are wholly optional, and you can use them as much or as little as you want, including not at all.

Note: The author here is not a native Japanese speaker, nor qualified to teach Japanese. Several members of the Velvet Room MUSH who have greater expertise in the language were involved in the editing of this section.

Just the Basics

In Japan, a person has a family name and a given name. While it's usually written in that order in Japanese, on Velvet Room MUSH, we switch that around to the western style of given name-family name that we are used to due to how the games have been localized. Familiarity determines whether a person refers to them by their family name or given name. If you're strangers or acquaintances, it's common to use the family name until you get to know them better.

Let's use Tatsuya Suou as an example.

Someone meeting him for the first time: Suou-san. As a classmate a year younger than him: Suou-senpai. As a teacher who's taught him for a while, or a classmate in the same grade: Suou-kun. A good friend who knows him well: Tatsuya-kun. A significant other who is close to him: Tatsuya-chan. His brother: Tatsuya.

The honorific changes based on the relationship. With it, people always know where they stand with you and how you regard your relationship, and can mark changes in how you view your relationship. Keep in mind there is some nuance to this and this is a simplistic breakdown, though. However, this offers a good demonstration as to why honorifics can enhance roleplay, and help with immersion by giving others a real time understanding of what your character feels their relationship is with everyone they're interacting with.

List of Honorifics

Now, to provide more of a list:

-san: The default for most people, the equivalent of Mister or Mrs. A superior you don't know well. Ironically, it can also be used for someone you're very close to; married couples often refer to each other as -san.

-sama: Deities, individuals of extremely respected positions. For some, it can often seem sycophantic to an extreme unless their position truly is that esteemed.

-kun: A term of familiarity, often used for young men; in schools, boys are referred to by default as -kun. It can be used in the workplace by older coworkers towards younger women as well.

-chan: A term of endearment, often by and/or towards younger women. Can be used by your closest friends and lovers as well, and as nicknames for boys, but take care if you wouldn't reasonably be considered this close.

-tan: Usually reserved for very young children, or nicknames only. Diminutive, and unless you're very certain the person is okay with it, disrespectful to an extreme.

-senpai: An older classmate from another year, or a coworker. A senpai doesn't have to be older than you; they just have to have been doing the thing you're both doing (school, work, a club activity) longer than you.

-sensei: A title of respect for someone of great academic expertise, usually a medical doctor or a doctorate, but sometimes politicians, authors, artists, and so on. Also just your school teacher.

Familial Honorifics

When it comes to family addresses of respect, there is further nuance.

O- is itself a respectful prefix that can be dropped based on familiarity and/or contempt.

Otou-(honorific) for father.
-Usually just Otou-san

Okaa-(honorific) for mother.
-Usually just Okaa-san

Onii-(honorific) for an older brother
-More variable, could be anywhere from Onii-san to Onii-chan or even Nii-chan in a more casual situation, depending on your relationship.

Onee-(Honorific) for an older sister.
-Also more variable, could be anywhere from Onee-san to Onee-chan or even Nee-chan in a more casual situation, depending on your relationship.

Yobisute

The last major honorific of note is no honorific, or 'yobisute.' This is reserved mostly for family members, very close friends, and close lovers, and can be used with one's family name or given name with an according level of familiarity. However, in English, it's normal to call people by just their names in this way, so you don't need to read into it too much or pay it too much mind in your RP if you don't want to.