おまわりさん

A friendly, approachable term for a police officer, especially used by or with children.

Etymology

From お + 回(まわ)り + さん. 回(まわ)る means "to go around," referring to officers on patrol.

Formality levels

• おまわりさん: friendly, informal (children, casual speech)
• 警察官(けいさつかん): police officer (official, formal)
• 警官(けいかん): police officer (neutral, slightly less formal)
• 刑事(けいじ): detective (plainclothes)
• ポリス: police (slang, from English)

Usage

Commonly used when teaching children about police or when speaking to officers at a 交番(こうばん) (police box). Adults typically use 警察(けいさつ) or 警察官(けいさつかん) in formal contexts. The さん suffix gives the word its warm, approachable feel.