Japanese

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Alternative spelling
chang (Internet slang)

Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Variant of personal suffix さん (-san).[1][2][3]

First cited to a work from 1813.[1]

Pronunciation

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Suffix

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ちゃん (-chan

  1. [from 1813] (familiar or childish, diminutive) title affixed to people's names: -chan
    シュワちゃん
    Shuwa-chan
    Arnie (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
    (まど)ぎわのトットちゃん
    Madogiwa no Totto-chan
    Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window
  2. [from 1813] title affixed to animals
    くまちゃん(あそ)
    kuma-chan to asobu
    play with Mr. Bear

Usage notes

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  • Imparts a sense of affection by the speaker for the referent.
  • When affixed to people's names, ちゃん (chan) is most commonly added to names for young women and children.
  • When affixed to animal nouns, ちゃん (chan) is most commonly used by children and young women.
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Descendants

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  • English: -chan
  • Chinese:
    Mandarin: (jiàng)
    Min Nan: chia̋n
  • Korean: (-jjang)
  • Russian: тян (tjan)
    Azerbaijani: tyan
  • Vietnamese: chan

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 ちゃん”, in 日本国語大辞典 [Nihon Kokugo Daijiten]‎[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006
  2. ^ ちゃん”, in デジタル大辞泉 [Digital Daijisen]‎[2] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months
  3. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN