The Japanese honorific くん -kun: How, why, when it is used
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- čas přidán 19. 08. 2024
- When, how, why is the Japanese honorific -kun used?
-Kun is said to have been invented by a legendary samurai teacher of the mid-19th century, Yoshida Shōin who accepted learners regardless of class.
But when he encouraged discussion among his students, he noticed that classism got in the way. Samurai students called their peasants peers Gonbei-dono (Gonbei was the most common name in pre-modern Japan. Average Joe = Average Gonbei). Peasants students called their samurai peers Gonbei-sama.
So to establish equality, Shōin had all students call each other with a new honorific, -kun.
Many of these students grew up to become rebels who eventually contributed to overthrowing the over-250 years old samurai government in 1867.
At the National Diet of Japan still now, there is a rule where all Diet members call each other with the -kun suffix, male and female alike.
Nowadays, probably because of its origin, -kun is predominantly used towards males, and it symbolizes a closer relationship than -san relationships, but establishes a graceful distance than a no-honorific relationship.
In the video, I give you one very important use case of -kun which is exclusively used by girls towards boys 😂.
Hi, I’m Kyota, the author of Amazon Best Sellers [Folk Tales of Japan], [Underdogs of Japanese History], and [Horror Tales of Japan].
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So this is what it means to be "kun" zoned. A step up on the relationship ladder.
When everyone else at work calls you with a -san and one girl calls you with a -kun, it really delivers a message 😂👍
That explains why Kazama from Senpai ga Uzai gets flustered when Sakurai calls him Kazama-kun
@@FutureAIDev2015 she does it because she knows it is a critical hit. Plus, knowing how awkward Kazama is, it works beautifully!
That explains re zero
"Steve in the general direction of kunliness": gotcha
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Putting every lesson into use 😂😂😂😂😂!
Now to wait for the -Chan video
😂 Hopefuly soon!
and -dono, -tan, etc etc etc 😅
@@theharper1I think tan was made up and I can only think of subaru using it
Edit: this is wrong, don't like it
@@Figster_ my Japanese wife uses it! 😅
@@theharper1 maybe it's for really close people then?
I love❤ how enthusiastic and energetic⚡ this guy is 😂👌
This was 4 am in the morning 😂😂😂😂
@@kyotako1372 Early wakeup, or late to sleep?
@@wraitholmeI'd like to believe the latter
At 4am? That’s some ikigai you got there, my friend
Keep up the good work! ❤
I also heard the boss refer to her (female) subordinates as -kun where I worked.
Yes, it’s becoming old fashioned, but I think the intended effect is the establishment of a not-too-close and not-too-distant work relationship/atmosphere 😁
I like the slightly longer videos
Oh thank you! It’s a bit more work to make, but I can cover the historical background 😁
I like the way you portrayed the different honorific zones, it's amusing.
your acting is HILARIOUS. 1:27 the nervous lip thing is such a good touch lmfaooo
And they were ✨comrades ✨
😁✨👍👍
This made me laugh hard, thanks.
omg they were comrades 😮
The sudden delivery of the "worked like magic" line was funny :3
This guy's energy is amazing
Thank you 😁✨✨
Okay, this is one of my new favourite channels. Fascinating etymology of an interesting language presented humourously at breakneck speed... this is my sort of thing!
Haha i was trying to look this up the other day! I wasn't able to find anything so this was a very pleasant surprise :-)
I guess I got it out there on time 😁👍!
Isn’t there also a niche -kun also used to by men to address female colleagues, juniors and subordinates in business/academic settings (last name-kun) or is that just an anime-ism? Or is that covered under the national diet caveat?
I’m also curious.
IDK about current usage, but somewhere in the 20th century there was a shift in usage. Men used to address both males and females as -kun, and women used to address both males and females as -chan. Slowly, it changed so that -kun was used by both sexes to address males, and -chan was used by both sexes to address females. There was a transition period when younger people used the terms one way and older people used them the other way.
@mrjones2721 thank you for the explanation! Yes, it feels like it’s becoming outdated, but bosses used to call male and female subordinates with -kun, I think to establish a not-too-close & not-too-distant democratic feel to the workplace ☺️
Isn't it a bit agist? I saw the youngest guy in the team addressed with -kun and it visibly drove him nuts, he was well over 30. Every body else was a -san.
These videos are brilliant. They’re educational and entertaining, which really helps the content stick. I hope that your channel continues to grow, you totally deserve it!
You should make a video about the word 勉強! In Chinese it means to be forced to do something or to reluctantly do something, and it has been imported to my native language of Vietnamese with that same meaning. But in Japanese, it means to study. Curious as to why this is.
That might be an interesting topic 😁👍! Thank you!
Okay, so, I'm a woman, do I still say this to another woman if I like her as more than friends but we're not dating, and I want to show interest, or do I call her something else?
You’ll likely go with -chan, to show your affection towards her ☺️✨!
I am still curilous how -kun in Kanji is 君, same Kanji with Kimi and I think why that Kanji have mean as You and -Kun when the original meaning is "King".
I love your vibes, and etymology lessons, keep up the great work!!!
Thank youuu 🥹🥹✨
Totally wont abusie it... Steve-kun 🤞
😁😂😂
NEW FAVOURITE CHANNEL MWAHAHAHAHAH
Awesome video! It's only a minute long and yet it fits a whole bunch of interesting info plus it's super engaging!!!
Welcome 😂✨🙌!
Omfg, pls pls pls upload long japnese lessons from 0, you’re literally the only person i understand😭
Some Japanese female friends have told me that arrogant old male bosses would occasionally called them FamilyName-Kun … presumably as a way to demonstrate hierarchy?
wow these videos are really good, you're a great writer Mr. Ko! (and actor haha)
😂 I try!
I've always wondered why in "Fruits Basket" the FL is sometimes addressed by "kun" when she's just a sweet regular high schooler, I guess the other characters just felt like calling her like that?
I will wait for the '-chan' video! I need that cuz I really want to know😆 There's someone I always call with a '-chan'😆 Even I'm not Japanese lol. It's just sounds cute that's why I used it 😆
Also thanks for this helpful information Kyota-sensei!
My pleasure ☺️! I will think about what to do with chan!
Love the humor in your videos! Makes learning more fun. Keep it up!
This made me laugh. I used to call my then Japanese boyfriend "Daisuki kun".😂
😂😂😂 How sweet!!
@kyotako1372
🤣
the friendly comrades vibe is a nice one for encouraging shared effort. evokes 'teamwork' for me
In my head I was linking -kun to the old school habit of calling people 'lad', as in an old shopkeeper saying "Steve lad, could you help me with this?" or 'the lads down at the pub', is it similar?
(and I guess -chan could swap for old school use of 'love' as a title, 'Susie love, could you help?' and 'how are ya, love?' to someone younger than the speaker. I learnt these from old British TV shows, so it always seems to be barkeeps and (older?) shopkeepers! maybe grannies too)
ahhh yes, “lad” feels right for -kun 😁✨!
It would be an interesting video if you'd explain the meaning of the kanji for pronouns. "-kun" here is "kimi" which means "lord/ruler" (but then again, kimi now means informal "you"). On the other hand "boku" is the Chinese reading of "shimobe" which means "servant". So actually when Japanese people say "boku ha kimi no koto daisuki desu" they are actually saying "Your servant here absolutely adores everything about your ladyship" as a confession.
Not exactly -kun, but there was this one case I've seen in an anime where one character calls the protagonist _-bō._ And he was in college.
Now, I've heard that -bō is a big no-no, as it's basically calling someone a little boy, so I figured it meant the two characters were super close.
Was I right, or are there cultural details that I'm missing or…?
Oh wow now I have a whole lot of context to all those Sasuke-kuns I’ve heard and read in my earlier life. I promise I will not abuse it
But why "kun"? Surely it had some meaning and wasn't just pulled out of thin air
That’s what I’m wondering. It had a kanji, so it was a preexisting word, but why that word in particular?
Just found your channel only a day ago and I really enjoy your work! Charming and informative! Excellent work!
I've just found this guy I like him. I've subscribed he's crazy
The warning at the end 🤣🙇🏽♀
So it's like a flirtatious or affectionate honorific towards males, depending on how it's used.
Yes, it can be wielded that way 😁✨👍!
This is video is
✔Life Changing
✔Informative
✔Inspiring
I’m glad you liked it ☺️✨👍!
It's sometimes used by their hierarchy for young women *not* on the OL track at companies and similar situations where their male counteparts are called "-kun" and they want equality of treatment. Or so I heard.
Dang, cant believe Gintoki’s teacher made kun a thing
I remember in Sailor Moon Professor Tomoe called his secretary "Kaori-kun," which I thought was weird because she was a woman. But they ARE pretty close, so it makes sense based on the definition given here.
Yessss thank you sooo much!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
😁😁✨✨👍👍👍👍
Kun is similar to Bro or Bruh in it’s usage .
*Me:* おはようございます Sensei 🙇♂️ はい、 そうです。おはようございます Tanaka-san 🙇♂️
*That one girl in the back:* おはよう~ Steveくん 😉
*Me:* 😳😳😳😳
*Her:* 🤭😁
That’s how things work 😂😂😂
Honorifics are like the infinity stones. You gotta use em wisely
Glorified "bro" premium. Thank you for listening.
Wie entspannt ist dieser Typ bitte? Legende 😂
Huh, so "-kun" signifies familiarity and the idea of "we are equals"
Yes, it definitely has that feel 😁👍!
😂 Great and amusing explanation, Thank You
When the homies from the suburbs and the homies from the hood have to pull up to the same function
Amazong charisma you got here. I hope you can make a video talking about kuden
So then, where does -chan come from? 🤔
In another video 😁👍✨!
So we all get to call you -kun because we’re friends??
I wouldn’t mind 😁👍✨
Oh my god, western languages need -kun. It'll be the end of the mystery of what girls think and when you should start thinking about them. Well, not the end, but if one day they called you -kun you'd have a clue and might make a move that is not undesired.
I have encountered a problem.. my name is pronounced: kun
Getting flashbacks to Cardcaptor Sakura.
"Japanese Smeagol doesn't exist and he can't hurt you*
Japanese Smeagol: 1:09
So do I get this right, girls / women don't generally use -kun for just any (good) male friend, but only when it starts being more than just friends for them?
1:17 Is “son” supposed to be “-san” here?
ah thanks for catching that, I must have forgotten to correct that part 😫!
WELCOME TO THE KUN ZONE!
Only get called kun by anime girls
Elegant honorific usage
First the kiss, then the kun...
If Naruto pisses me of I'd call him: NAARUTOOOOOOO!! ✋⚡
😂😂😂👍
as a woman im going to start using -kun on myself
Subscribing for more Japanese etymology/history. Thanks for helping my world expand.
Happy to be one of your first 50,000 subscribers!
Happy to be one of your first 50,000 subscribers!
Bro you are hilarious. Keep it up. 👍👍
i'm female and one of my japanese teachers (also female) called me -kun, what should i make of this then? lmao
haha she must have been trying to create a democratic feel and classroom order by calling you with -kun, like at the National Diet ☺️
I'm no Japanese person but as an avid consumer of Japanese media I've seen quite a few times "kun" being used for women in workplace scenario, usually a Boss talking to his female employee to whom they have a more friendly\casual relationship than just purely professional. I guess that "chan" does not feel appropriate in such situations and "san" is too formal.
Great video, thank you so much for this! XD
Also, I live in Tokyo and was looking to buy some noise-reducing panels like yours for my apartment, what brand are yours and do you like them? :D
Great idea! These sponges are for absorbing sound to reduce reverb. I got them like a decade ago from Sound House サウンドハウス ☺️
Fantastic, thank you very much! Love all of your videos, thanks for making them! :D
Ok, but really the most common use of -kun is for children, boys with kun, girls with chan. And of course older relatives will still call their grown-up nephews using -kun, regardless of the age.
Quick question not really related to the video:
How is Kameoka? I am thinking of visiting there sometime to test the waters for a possible move. Anything I should know, or any experiences there you could share? Thanks!
For some reason this is the nuance that Duolingo lacks XD
I like your vids
Okay, I'll sub now.
Thank you ☺️✨✨👍
In Japan They called me sama! Kissama! Because of my lady skills. Chu
I love this guy lol
What about -dono?
I feel dono and han coming!
Or it just means she is more advanced in the age ladder than you. In that case it is rather awkward for her to call you, a social minor, -san.
There is a time when you'd call a girl kun. It's usually at work when you have very high respect for that person. it's meant to make it sound like thag woman is a peer (yes, it's sexist, but that's just Japan)
great video ww
😂😂👍
Thank you Kyota-san, may I ask a question please? Is -kun also used to address a younger male (not a friend). can it be used to affectionately address one's favourite athlete especially if he's younger or regardless of age? Thank you very much!
Yes, it can be used if the counterpart is significantly younger, and -san doesn’t feel right.
Another use case is where women who are diehard fans of a boy band calls their favorite singer with -kun 😁👍
@@kyotako1372 はい わかりました。教えてくれてありがとうございました🙏👌☺️
Not completely correct. くん can also be used when superior addresses subordinates, both men and women.
Koitsu umain da ze! Sensei!
Arigato gozimasu, but what about chwaaaaaaaaaan and swaaaaaaaaaaaaan?
Are they only said (like that) by perverts?
Kyota-kun
ト。。。。今は貴様
Uh, oh …
Shinji-kun?
Kun-mers rise
🏃🏼♀️...totally not off to abuse "-kun" or anything, Sensei. Promise 😉😁 ...Actually that sounds bad 😆
😂😂😂👍
Be careful using the honorific “kun” in the United States.
It may sound like something else 😂😫!
why do you make your video so loud?
I thought くん was meant for people of lower status than you. Like a freshman is くん and a senior is 先輩.
sometimes くん is used that way, but you might be thinking of 子はい
useful video, least useful 2 minutes of my life as a lesbian woman though… sigh…
Wait till the American pronoun debacle hits japan - its gonna be kuns and sans and samas all over the place
First
Irasshaimase 😁👍
..but my wife's friends (and her mom also casually refer to me as kun). that doesn't seem to fit in here. We do meet when in Japan, but its more of a once every year or two thing, and i dont have the guts to speak japanese yet, though i do understand a bunch while listening in on conversations. But we don't actually talk much 🥲
Literally omw to line spam my study abroad situationship rn /j
i really enjoy your videos so much, always make me smile and it's so informative as well, thank you so much!!❤️🩹❤️🩹
I’m glad you enjoy the videos 😁👍✨✨!