Chan/San

[Eiko]

I understand the differences between chan and san, and I know I'm not supposed to use any of those titles on my own name, but I'm having difficulties discerning when and when not to use them when introducing someone.

Let's say that I am introducing some very close friends to someone I'm not so familiar with. How do I introduce my friends politely? With CHAN or with SAN? Or would I go for the even more polite SAMA?
Then, let's say I was introducing someone I was slightly familiar, but not on close terms, with. Would I introduce that person to anybody at all with SAN, CHAN, or SAMA?

Whew, I can seem to find any information on it. Or maybe I'm just not very attentive. Thanks for reading this, if you did. =)

[Spaztick]

You would just introuce them, or use -san if you don't know them that well. Never use -chan.

[xdj220]

-chan is strictly for use with good friends (usually female), and young children. -san is safest. -kun is similar to -chan, but more commonly used, and wouldn't really be considered as rude, so much as informal. -sama is for use with people way above you, or who you greatly respect. -dono is sort of wierd...I guess it's a more polite version of -san. Some people from western Japan will also say -han instead of -san, but that's just a dialect.