くん and ちゃん

[suko]

When do you use these and what is the differnece?

Just while we're talking about these, is there a kanji for くん or ちゃん?

[keatonatron]

They're suffixes for names to turn a normal name into a cutesy pet name.

くん is mostly for boys, ちゃん is mostly for girls, however exceptions aren't uncommon.

Often times names will be shortened before the suffix is added.

i.e.
てつや　->　てっちゃん

[Yudan Taiteki]

Kun has a kanji 君, although it's often written in kana as well. ちゃん does not have a kanji.

[Tspoonami]

I think the kanji for ちゃん should be 豔.

[tanuki]

Tspoonami wrote:
I think the kanji for ちゃん should be 豔.

Really? As far as I know (which isn't much), ちゃん is some kind of deformation of さん, which itself has no kanji. So ちゃん has no kanji, either.

[BetterSense]

what about ~たん？

[Dehitay]

tanuki wrote:

Tspoonami wrote:
I think the kanji for ちゃん should be 豔.

Really? As far as I know (which isn't much), ちゃん is some kind of deformation of さん, which itself has no kanji. So ちゃん has no kanji, either.

That's the impression I'm under as well. If I recall right, children sometimes mispronounce the 's' sound as 'ch' and end up saying stuff like 'dechu' instead of 'desu'. My guess would be 'chan' probly came from 'san' and it would also explains 'chama'. However, I'm not entirely sure if that's where it spawned from.

[Tspoonami]

tanuki wrote:
Really? As far as I know (which isn't much), ちゃん is some kind of deformation of さん, which itself has no kanji. So ちゃん has no kanji, either.

... I was joking.

[dark_fire11]

Hey Tspoonami, what does that kanji actually mean? I've never seen anything so complex. The dictionaries I tried didn't even have it.

[Tspoonami]

Well, I got it partially randomly, but it apparently means 'plump, voluptuous, or beautiful.'

[keatonatron]

tanuki wrote:
ちゃん is some kind of deformation of さん, which itself has no kanji.

Are you sure about that, 狸山?

[Infidel]

Hey!

[AJBryant]

But what about the famous mountain, Mr. Fuji?


Tony

[tanuki]

keatonatron wrote:
Are you sure about that, 狸山?

That must be one dandy mountain.

[flammable hippo]

AJBryant wrote:
But what about the famous mountain, Mr. Fuji?


Tony

Don't be silly, Fuji-san is obviously Ms. Fuji.