(くん)

くん
suffix
Mr., Master (familiar)
1. Mr., Master (for males)
An honorific suffix used for boys, younger men, or male subordinates.
太郎(たろう)(くん)(あそ)ぼう
Taro, let's play.
田中(たなか)(くん)ちょっと()
Tanaka, come here for a moment.
Yamada has been my friend since elementary school.
2. (for females in workplace)
Sometimes used for female colleagues or subordinates.
佐藤(さとう)(くん)この資料(しりょう)コピーしてくれ
Sato, please copy this document.
The department manager also addresses female employees with -kun.
At our company, many supervisors address young employees with -kun regardless of gender.

(くん) is an honorific suffix primarily used for males, indicating familiarity and mild respect.

WHO USES IT:

  • Teachers addressing male students
  • Superiors addressing younger or junior colleagues (sometimes female too)
  • Among male friends of similar age
  • Parents to sons or boys

COMPARISON OF SUFFIXES:

  • 〜さん: polite, gender-neutral (the safe default)
  • (くん): familiar, mainly for males
  • 〜ちゃん: affectionate, mainly for females/children
  • (さま): very formal and respectful

WORKPLACE NOTE:
In some companies, (くん) is used for both male and female employees by superiors. This practice varies; some consider it outdated for addressing women. Using さん is always safe.

CAUTION:
Do not use (くん) for superiors or older people — it can sound condescending.