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IssuAga (Offline)
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08-02-2011, 04:32 PM

I have a female Japanese friend that I call "~ちゃん", even though she is a little older than I am. I thought one of the purposes to use "ちゃん" is to emphasize cuteness. Am I right with that?


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masaegu (Offline)
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08-02-2011, 05:17 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by IssuAga View Post
I have a female Japanese friend that I call "~ちゃん", even though she is a little older than I am. I thought one of the purposes to use "ちゃん" is to emphasize cuteness. Am I right with that?
Emphasize cuteness? I am nowhere near being cute; in fact, I wear a full beard and look like a Japanese Leland Sklar. Regardless, some people that are younger than I do address me with 「ちゃん」.

When an adult is addressed with 「ちゃん」, it is not so much a title as part of a nickname. Even if the 「~~」 part of 「~~ちゃん」 is an actual name, the whole phrase is being treated like a "nickname" of affection. At least this is how I feel as a native speaker.
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