Mr. Kikuchi is expecting Ms. Kondo in his office, but they never met before. When Ms. Kondo finds him in his office, she introduces herself. Pay particular attention to how the conversation starts.

A: すみません。きくちさんですか。
B: ええ、そうです。
A: こんどうです。はじめまして。 どうぞ、よろしく。
B: きくちです。どうぞ、よろしく。

Vocabulary

1. すみません Excuse me.
2. きくち Kikuchi [family name]
3. さん [personal title] Mr./Mrs./Ms./Miss
4. そうです That's right.

Translation

A: Excuse me. Are you Mr. Kikuchi?
B: Yes, that's right.
A: I'm Kondo. How do you do?
B: I'm Kikuchi. Nice to meet you.

Cultural Note

1.

How to address others

How to address other people

Most commonly, acquaintances, colleagues, and friends address one another using their family name followed by the suffix さん (e.g., たなかさん) rather than their given name. For superiors or those of a higher social rank, it is standard to use their family name plus their specific title (such as よしだぶちょう for a manager) or さん if a title is not applicable.

Between close friends or peers, it is common to use given names, often paired with the suffix さん. For young children, given names are typically followed by ちゃん for girls and くん or ちゃん for boys. However, addressing someone by their name alone—without any suffix or title—is considered overly familiar or even rude unless you have an exceptionally close relationship.

Warning! Remember to never attach さん or any other title to your own name, as this is seen as improper.
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