One of the most important parts of talking to people in Japanese is the honorific system, or what you put at the end of somebody’s name. Honorifics situate people within the Japanese social hierarchy, by showing respect, affection, and humility. Think of Japanese honorifics like calling somebod y as Mr., Madam, or Doctor in English; each has a different level of respect and can be gender-specific. -sama様【さま】 This is the highest honorific you can possibly use and, because of that, you probably won’t be using it much at all. It’s a level of formality that seems a bit absurd, disrespectful, or sarcastic in everyday conversation. -sensei先生【せんせい】 This is another respectful honorific. You’ll mostly hear it used when referring to teachers, but it can be used for talking about other people who are experts in their fields. Doctors, lawyers, and politicians can all be called sensei. -senpai 先輩【せんぱい】 Senpai is an honorific used when talking about more senior or experienced
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