# Sama



## Belenka

Hello there,

i've just come to know that "sama" is a Japanese equivalent of Mr and Mrs, but that you have to put it after your name. for example, K.Fujiwara sama. is this right? is there a coma between the name and "sama"?
thank you for your reply!


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## Bowlinguist

Belenka said:


> Hello there,
> 
> i've just come to know that "sama" is a Japanese equivalent of Mr and Mrs, but that you have to put it after your name. for example, K.Fujiwara sama. is this right? is there a coma between the name and "sama"?
> thank you for your reply!



"sama" is one of the honorifc suffixes often used in Japanese and is used to show more respect and courtesy as compared to "san" a more commonly used honorifc. Fujiwara sama is correct. I would put - between them or simply leave a blank as you did.  Good luck on your study


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## Flaminius

Welcome to Japnaese Forum.  日本語フォーラムへようこそ、 Belenka!  
Sama is not Mr. or Mrs.  It is more an arcane title used mainly in writing letters.

Usually we go by _san_.  E.g., Mr. Fujiwara is 藤原さん or Fujiwara-san.
Note: I use hyphen to separate the name and the title but others may use space.  There is no official notation.


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## gaer

Flaminius said:


> Welcome to Japnaese Forum. 日本語フォーラムへようこそ、 Belenka!
> Sama is not Mr. or Mrs. It is more an arcane title used mainly in writing letters.
> 
> Usually we go by _san_. E.g., Mr. Fujiwara is 藤原さん or Fujiwara-san.
> Note: I use hyphen to separate the name and the title but others may use space. There is no official notation.


I have a question that I think is related, and I have never understood what is correct.

Suppose that I write a letter to Mr. AND Mrs. Fujiwara: how would I do that?

Gaer


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## Hiro Sasaki

Gaer san,

藤原様　is Mr. OR Mrs.  In Tokio, they use more often "Fujiwara sama " 
than in Osaka, in  prestigious restaurants, and in business contacts.

Elderly high society woman even say あなたの　おかあさま　

Ｈｉｒｏ　Ｓａｓａｋｉ


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## Flaminius

gaer said:


> Suppose that I write a letter to Mr. AND Mr. Fujiwara: how would I do that?


You surely meant Mr. and Mrs. Fujiwara?    I would use ご夫妻 (go-fusai) as in: 

藤原さんご夫妻


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## gaer

Flaminius said:


> You surely meant Mr. and Mrs. Fujiwara?


Thank you. I corrected it. What a silly mistake!


> I would use ご夫妻 (go-fusai) as in:
> 
> 藤原さんご夫妻


Ah, I would never have guessed, but now it is totally clear. Thank you. 

Gaer


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## gaer

Hiro Sasaki said:


> Gaer san,
> 
> 藤原様　is Mr. OR Mrs. In Tokio, they use more often "Fujiwara sama " than in Osaka, in prestigious restaurants, and in business contacts.
> 
> Elderly high society woman even say あなたの　おかあさま
> 
> Ｈｉｒｏ　Ｓａｓａｋｉ


Sasaki-san,

Thank you for clearing that up. I have so many questions because I know so little. 

ゲーリー


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## SpiceMan

Belenka said:


> i've just come to know that "sama" is a Japanese equivalent of Mr and Mrs, but that you have to put it after your name.


You NEVER put it after your own name, you ONLY add suffixes to other people's names.

The only exception are girls talking "cute" about themselves adding "chan" to their own names. Eg, a girl called Ai saying "aichan wa shitakunai!" to say "I don't want to do it".


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## gaer

SpiceMan said:


> You NEVER put it after your own name, you ONLY add suffixes to other people's names.
> 
> The only exception are girls talking "cute" about themselves adding "chan" to their own names. Eg, a girl called Ai saying "aichan wa shitakunai!" to say "I don't want to do it".


Actually, it's usually considered impolite for us to use "Mr." or "Mrs." with our own names, especially as a signature.

I would address someone else as "Mr. Smith". But I would only sign my first and last name. I would never use "Mr."

Gaer


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## Hiro Sasaki

Gaer san,

I don't know sure the intention of the remark of Spiceman.  But, I sometimes heard the beginners of Japanese language saying " Watashi wa sumisu san desu" or " Watashi Hose kun desu. " That sounds funny of course.

But, in the Spanish speaking world, I think that in some cases, they write
"  Sr. Jose Carlos Alonso Huertas " to himself to make it clear que he is not
a woman, I suppose.


Many people who are learning Japanese have different cultural backgrounds linguistically.  Many people believe errouneouly that 
the native speakers of English who don't know nothing of Japanese 
language and Japanese culture can be good teachers of English,
because their minds and English are not "polluted" by the Japanese
way of thinking. 

Hiro Sasaki


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## timpeac

In English I've never seen someone refer to themselves in writing as Mr John Smith. I think the formal accepted written form is John Smith Esq. ("Esq" is short for "esquire" (and pronounced "esquire" too)).


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## timpeac

Flaminius said:


> You surely meant Mr. and Mrs. Fujiwara?  I would use ご夫妻 (go-fusai) as in:
> 
> 藤原さんご夫妻


In the UK same sex marriage is legal so it is a valid supposition here (well, it would be if "Fujiwara" were a common surname).


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## SpiceMan

Hiro Sasaki said:


> Gaer san,
> 
> I don't know sure the intention of the remark of Spiceman.  But, I sometimes heard the beginners of Japanese language saying " Watashi wa sumisu san desu" or " Watashi Hose kun desu. " That sounds funny of course.


Yes, that was exactly what I was thinking.



> But, in the Spanish speaking world, I think that in some cases, they write
> "  Sr. Jose Carlos Alonso Huertas " to himself to make it clear que he is not
> a woman, I suppose.


I think I've never seen that, and I would consider it wrong.


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## Hiro Sasaki

SpiceMan said:


> Yes, that was exactly what I was thinking.
> 
> I think I've never seen that, and I would consider it wrong.


 
I can not remember the cases. Maybe in some legal documents.

Hiro Sasaki


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## gaer

Hiro Sasaki said:


> Gaer san,
> 
> I don't know sure the intention of the remark of Spiceman. But, I sometimes heard the beginners of Japanese language saying " Watashi wa sumisu san desu" or " Watashi Hose kun desu. " That sounds funny of course.


I understand.


> Many people who are learning Japanese have different cultural backgrounds linguistically. Many people believe errouneouly that the native speakers of English who know nothing of the Japanese language and Japanese culture can be good teachers of English,because their minds and English are not "polluted" by the Japanese way of thinking.


If you mean that they are good teachers for Japanese people, I think this is probably a very wrong assumption. I would much rather get help with Japanese from someone in Japan who also knows English well. Such a person, I believe, is more likely to understand my problems!

Gaer


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