# addressing my students



## Sweetboat

I am a high school teacher. (female)
Some of my students and I sometimes communicate in Japanese. (It's our hobby.)

I don't know what I should call them.
As far as I know 'anata' is not so often used in Japanese.

Could you check these sentences?
Suppose the students are '田中一郎(boy)´ and　'佐藤のぞみ(girl)'

1. 田中君, あなた、趣味はなに？
2. 一郎君, あなた、趣味はなに？
3. 田中君, きみ、趣味はなに？
4.  一郎君、きみ、趣味はなに？
5. 田中君, お前、趣味はなに？
6.  一郎君、お前、趣味はなに？

1. 佐藤さん, あなた、趣味はなに？
2. のぞみさん, あなた、趣味はなに？
3. 佐藤さん, きみ、趣味はなに？
4.  のぞみさん、きみ、趣味はなに？
5. 佐藤さん, お前、趣味はなに？
6.  のぞみさん、お前、趣味はなに？


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## frequency

Sweetboat said:


> As far as I know 'anata' is not so often used in Japanese.


Yes, so without あなた・きみ・お前, all are possible, e.g. 田中君、趣味はなに？

To tell the truth, the two 5 and 6 made me laugh Well, let's wait for more opinions and information.


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## Sweetboat

frequency said:


> Yes, so without あなた・きみ・お前, all are possible, e.g. 田中君、趣味はなに？
> 
> To tell the truth, the two 5 and 6 made me laugh Well, let's wait for more opinions and information.



So I can never address my students as あなた or きみ or お前?
Somewhat inconvenient.


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## frequency

I agree that using あなた・きみ can make your statements more understandable. If you want to use either, you can. Both are okay, but お前 isn't good very much
I mean that omitting あなた・きみ・お前 in your examples are is more idiomatic. Or you can say 「田中君、あなたの趣味はなに？」

By the way, 田中君～のぞみさん (from all 1 to 6) and あなた・きみ・お前 in the examples are so-called 呼びかけ: "_*Flaminius*_, I told you..."


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## Sweetboat

Thank you. About 'Omae,' I have the Japanese version of Harry Potter 2. (I have read only some.) There Ron's mother calls her sons 'omae.'

お前もお黙り！　（p.５２）
お前たち二人もです。（p.５３）
今度ちょっとでも規則を破ってごらん。　私たちがお前をすぐ家に引っ張って帰ります。(p.131)

So I thought, maybe women can call young boys 'omae.'
Is it just mothers? Or is it the speaker's emotion - being furious?
If my students do something bad, such as being late, not doing their homework, can I call them omae?


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## frequency

You're welcome.

Yes, in a close relationship, such as parent and child, omae isn't bad. It can expresses friendliness. You know, in the third example the omae seems to be used as a usual, neutral pronoun. However, it also can express fury like the first example, as you said.


Sweetboat said:


> If my students do something bad, such as being late, not doing their homework, can I call them omae?


This is a difficult point. Yes and no. For me, I don't use omae 70% but I use 30%. I mean I might use omae sometimes when I scold a student.


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## Sweetboat

お教えくたさって、ありがとうございました。


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## frequency

Don't forget 'omae' isn't bad for an optimistic student, but wouldn't be good for a delicate and mentally weak student.


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## Sweetboat

frequency said:


> Don't forget 'omae' isn't bad for an optimistic student, but wouldn't be good for a delicate and mentally weak student.



I'll keep that in mind. Thank you for the tips.


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## federix

@Sweetboat in my experience Japanese people shun the use of personal pronouns as much as possible. I often ask my Japanese friends about this, as it is something that as a Westerner I find really hard to come to terms with, and the answer is always to refer to people by name (if you know it). Only really use あなた if you have no other possible option. If you're asking someone you don't know very well for their name or their job, for example, the use of the honorific お・ご alone will do the trick - you can just say お名前はなんですか・お仕事は何ですか and it would be clear you're asking about their name/job because you would never refer to yourself with an honorific.
In your case, because you know your students' names, you don't really have an issue... I would take out the pronouns with no hesitation...
田中君、趣味はなに？
佐藤さん、趣味はなに？
if you're calling them to get their attention first (呼びかけ) or even just
田中君の趣味はなに？
佐藤さんの趣味はなに？
if you're already in a conversation with them.
Regarding the use of くん vs. さん and name vs. surname, I think it's very much a question of how familiar you are with them, age difference, etc... a little bit beyond my full comprehension of Japanese culture yet...


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## Sweetboat

Thank you, federix, for the tip. Maybe, as you said, just using their names will do the trick.
You are learning Japanese too?
Good to meet a fellow learner


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## federix

Yes, I’ve been studying at a Japanese language school in London for the past 3.5 years... I prepare for the JLPT exams as a way of checking progress (passed N2 in July), but also have several Japanese friends in the UK to practice with. And of course listen to lots of J-Pop and watch lots of Anime/J-Drama for listening practice ;-)


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