ちゃん

Japanese
Alternative spelling
chang (Internet slang)

Alternative forms

Etymology

Variant of personal suffix さん (-san).[1][2][3]

First cited to a work from 1813.[1]

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): [t͡ɕã̠ɴ]

Suffix

ちゃん • (-chan) 

  1. [from 1813] (familiar or childish, diminutive) title affixed to people's names: -chan
    シュワちゃん
    Shuwa-chan
    Arnie (Arnold Schwarzenegger)
    窓(まど)ぎわのトットちゃん
    Madogiwa no Totto-chan
    Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window
  2. [from 1813] title affixed to animals
    くまちゃんと遊(あそ)ぶ
    kuma-chan to asobu
    play with Mr. Bear

Usage notes
  • Imparts a sense of affection by the speaker for the referent.
  • When affixed to people's names, ちゃん (chan) is most commonly added to names for young women and children.
  • When affixed to animal nouns, ちゃん (chan) is most commonly used by children and young women.

Descendants
  • → English: -chan
  • → Chinese:
    → Mandarin: 醬／酱 (jiàng)
    → Min Nan: chia̋n
  • → Korean: 짱 (-jjang)
  • → Russian: тян (tjan)
    → Azerbaijani: tyan
  • → Vietnamese: chan

References
  1. “ちゃん”, in 日本国語大辞典 (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten”)‎ (in Japanese), concise edition, Tōkyō: Shogakukan, 2000
  2. “ちゃん”, in デジタル大辞泉 [Digital Daijisen]‎ (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, updated roughly every four months
  3. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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