Re: USA Today: Columbia disaster stranded three men in space with 'no return ticket'

OM <om@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:p41b031otbsl9j42gkfg82blvfmlpoa4tm@xxxxxxx:

On Sat, 24 Mar 2007 14:00:28 -0500, "Jorge R. Frank"
<jrfrank@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

OM <om@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
news:r30b03ttfuiom048igcjqb445s0m7o1gqc@xxxxxxx:

On Fri, 23 Mar 2007 20:33:09 +0900, "Neil Gerace"
<geracen@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

...Or, as translated from Japanese, "Mr. B".

Also Miss B, Mrs B, Ms B, ...

...No, that would have been "B-Chan".

No, both "-chan" and "-san" can be used with either sex, though the
former is rarely used when addressing adult men. "-chan" is considered
familiar and diminutive, used only with family and close friends.
"-san" is considered more formal and polite.

...Hurm. This goes against what I was told about 20 years ago with
regards to that suffix. The guy from Japan - a native speaker - was
fairly emphatic that you never used -san with a woman, and that -chan
was the correct suffix to use. Nor did you *EVER* use -chan with a
male because it denoted a homosexual reference. Local cultural
differences affecting the linguistics and the translations, I suppose.

Or it could simply be that times have changed in Japan. I wasn't 100%
sure yesterday so I discussed the matter over drinks today with a friend
(also a native speaker, somewhat more recent vintage than 20 years).

"-san" is a formal/respectful title, acceptable for unfamiliar adults or
social superiors of either sex. "-chan" is an
informal/familiar/diminutive title used to address female inferiors,
female family members, and close friends/children of either sex. ("-kun"
is the counterpart for male inferiors and male family members.)

Addressing a female superior as "-chan" at work could be a career-
limiting move, and addressing any unfamiliar adult woman as "-chan" could
be considered rude. On the flip side, boys' nicknames are frequently
constructed by abbreviating their names and adding "-chan"; e.g. Shinichi
becomes "Shin-chan", and children often address elders of either sex
within their families similarly; e.g. "Ojii-san" (Grandfather) becomes
"Ojii-chan" (Grandpa). But you would only use "-chan" to address an adult
man if you've known him since childhood. It's akin to using a cutesy pet
nickname.

--
JRF

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check "Organization" (I am not assimilated) and
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