Japanese

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Alternative spellings
御前さん
お前さん

Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Pronoun

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おまえさん (omae-sanおまへさん (omafesan)?

  1. (archaic, polite) you
    • 1810, Shikitei Sanba, Ukiyoburo [Bathhouse of the Floating World], volume 2:
      ()(まえ)さん(ここ)をお()(あす)ばしてお()がりあすばせ
      Omae-san, koko o oabi asubashite oagari asubase
      You may go and bathe now
  2. (colloquial, familiar) mate, darling
    おい、おまえさん
    Oi, omae-san!
    hey, buddy!

Usage notes

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Used as a term of address. Historically the form was considered a somewhat polite though friendly second-person pronoun. In contemporary usage, it is most often addressed to a close friend or other intimate. The suffix さん (-san) marks the term as more polite than various synonyms, but (まえ) (omae) may be considered impolite if addressed to individuals of different social status from the speaker.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN