I've seen Japanese women address their husbands with the -sama suffix. Would it be appropriate for a man do the same in some cases? In which context can this be used?
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"I've seen Japanese women address their husbands with the -sama suffix" I'm curious, where? I can't deny it happens, but it strikes me as quite unusual. -san is very common, though.– dainichiMay 13, 2015 at 3:28
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1I would have said the most common way I have wives address their husbands is the word あなた, however it would seem like a rare occurrence to use ~様 with someone you knew well unless it was a joke.– The Wandering CoderMay 13, 2015 at 3:56
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@dainichi Movie called "Rurouni Kenshin". One girl in this movie constantly called her beloved man -sama.– optim1stMay 13, 2015 at 7:17
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2I see. Just be aware that a lot of historical fiction contains, if not decidedly historically wrong, then heavily stylized language.– dainichiMay 13, 2015 at 9:00
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@dainichi Got it. Thank you, I'll be aware.– optim1stMay 13, 2015 at 9:55
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1 Answer
Yes.
～様 is an honorific and can be easily thought of as a more respectful version of ～さん. It is gender neutral, so it can be used by both men and women when addressing either gender.
It is often used when addressing someone of a higher social position, or someone for whom you have high regards. On a day-to-day basis, it's commonly used to address customers.
