An Explanation of Honorifics


I used to leave a lot of descriptive names such as "oji-san" untranslated, but now I usually change them.
However, I do leave the endings that get slapped onto the end of names in there.  Maybe this will help if you're a little confused
about them.  I know I'm not perfectly knowledgeable of these, so if you spot any mistakes please alert me to them.

	Suffixes

 -san:  The typical ending denoting respect for another person.  This is usually used in polite conversation with others of equal or 
	higher standing than the speaker.  It's used often when the person being addressed is newly met or not a familiar acquaintance of
	the speaker.

 -kun:  Used for (mostly) males younger than the speaker.  It is seldom used on older men except for cases in which the target is a 
	subordinate at, for instance, a company.  Even then, it may not necessarily be the standard.  This is sometimes used on young 
	women by older men, although it does not happen often.

 -chan: A "cute" term of endearment.  Usually used on girls that are younger than or very close to the speaker.

 -sama: This is a very respectful ending, usually used in reference to gods or lords.  It may sometimes be used with family titles 
	("obaa" "ojii" -> "obaa-sama", "ojii-sama") in families that stress utmost respect for elders.

 -dono: This is a formal term considered archaic by many.  It typically refers to one of some sort of public office.  Kogorou uses it
	when he talks to Inspector Megure.