Have you ever wondered what Japanese nicknames are like? Do nicknames exist in such a formal language? How do nicknames work in the Japanese language? What are the main nicknames in Japan? In this article, you will see all of this and much more.
Let's teach our readers that in the Japanese language there are many interesting facts related to Japanese nicknames. Ready to venture into the world of Japanese nicknames?
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Are there Nicknames in Japan or in the Japanese language?
Japan is a very formal language, so nicknames are rarely used. When one person becomes intimate with another, they usually call him by his first name. This is the main way to express love, affection and friendship.
But the Japanese have some cute nicknames. They often use adjectives to express affection like "kawaii" which means cute and many other nicknames. The most common way to nickname a Japanese person is by using and adapting the person's own name.
It's not easy to find a list of Japanese nicknames because usually Japanese nicknames are literally puns on names, along with adding some cute suffix. Fortunately, there are some nicknames that we can highlight and present.
Adana and Aijyou - Nickname in Japanese
Japanese nicknames are called adana [あだ名], also known as aijyou [愛称] which indicates nicknames for animals, affectionate, intimate, and informal nicknames. It can be recognized in English as nickname [ニックネーム].
A nickname is usually used to call another person, to add on behalf of online game characters, on forums and websites or also on pets. Some nicknames are mocking and offensive, but they are not common in Japan.
Motorcycles and cars are also nicknamed, some people name their vehicles Hayate which means fast or Nozomi which is reminiscent of the bullet train. Even places like the Tokyo Police Department gets nicknames like Sakuradamon.
Stations and trains also tend to receive nicknames. Some nicknames are as common in Japan as in the West, such as animal names like "Pochi" [ポチ] for dogs and "Tama" [タマ] for cats, which is a good example of Japanese nicknames for pets.
Nickname Shortening the name
The Japanese way of putting nicknames is one of the smartest and funniest in the world. The most common and simple is shortening the name, this happens a lot in the west. In the same way that we speak Dani to Daniele, the Japanese speak Haru to Haruna.
Generally, the last or the last two syllables are hidden when nicknaming someone in Japanese. It is also necessary to use a treatment suffix, the most common for women is -chan and for men is -kun. ing that these are informal suffixes for friends.
We recommend reading: Japanese honorifics – The meaning of san, kun, chan, and others
As a form of nickname, another quite unusual suffix that exudes cuteness, affection, and sweetness is -tan, used for babies and cute children. Another alternative is the suffix -rin. At the end of the article, we will leave a list with many cute suffixes to use in names.
Not just the first name, but the family name or surname is also widely used as an abbreviated nickname with a cute suffix in Japan. So consider turning your friend's last name into something cute.
Some names can be abbreviated by adding an extension [ー] to the end of the last syllable. Others shorten the name by removing a syllable (あいうえお) and replacing it with a small tsu lengthening [っ]. See some examples below:
- Miichan de Misaki (extension ー);
- Yuuko Yukko (small tsu);
- Yuririn from Yuri (suffix);
Nickname ing the names
Another option is to combine the first name with the last name. For example: Kimura Takuya can become Kimu-Taku, a cute nickname created by combining the first and last name in Japanese. Another famous example is Matsumoto Jun, which becomes MatsuJun for fans.
Some names are not shortened, but they are also not junctions of the first and last names. Some simply pieces of the name with other adjectives, onomatopoeias or words that represent or show some characteristic of the person.
Famous people like singers, idols and voice actresses usually have their names changed in a way considered Kawaii. Below is a list of names that have been merged or shortened in a unique way:
- Maririn - Mariko Shinoda;
- Meetan - Megumi Ohori;
- Hikki - Utada Hikaru;
- Miikashi - Miike Takashi;
- Emurina - Emu Kasurina (foreign name);
- Kyonkyon - Kyoko Koizumi
- Match - Kondo Masahiko
- Yukko - Yukiko Okada
- Mayyu - Mayu Watanabe
- Aii - Aika Hirota
Nicknames with kanji puns
Japanese names are written using ideograms that usually have their own meanings. The ideograms called kanji can also have different readings, many have the same reading, which allows for the creation of nicknames.
For example, if a friend of yours is called Shi [市] you can write a message using Shi [士] which means knight. Yes, you can indirectly nickname someone by using the same name, but in your head it reminds you of something else.
Who doesn't the famous Ichigo [一護]? His name and ideograms have absolutely nothing to do with it, but ichigo can also mean Strawberry. People with this name end up being related to strawberries, in one way or another.
Others have names that can be read differently. See the case of Otonage [大人気] which can also be read as Daininki [大人気] which literally means a very popular person.
The possibilities are endless, but for these creations it is necessary to have an advanced knowledge of Japanese ideograms and also to know the person well to resemble some characteristic to their name.
Nicknames misspelled
Some Japanese nicknames can arise from breaking or mispronouncing the pronunciation. You can deliberately make a mistake, by pronouncing a word that resembles another. Another cause is rendaku where KA [か] turns into GA [が] or TA [た] turns into DA [だ], which kind of generates nicknames.
Others create nicknames derived from names, but that resemble a Japanese word or adjective that coincidentally is similar or equal written with another ideogram. We have the famous case of Sawako that became Sadako in the anime Kimi ni Todoke.
See below some examples of nicknames that were created through pronunciation errors, resemblance or rendaku:
- Teko > Peko
- Ayachan > Yayachan
- Manaka > Maaka
- Reina > Reenya
Read also: Rendaku - Sequential Vocalization in the Japanese Language
Other alternatives would be to purposely invert the syllables of the name to form nicknames. Translate the name into English or put syllables that are synonymous with the person's name. The ways to play with names are endless. See below:
- Yuichan - Chanyui
- Nanami - Miinana
- Haruka - HaruHaru
- Peach - Peach
- Koharu - Little Haru
Affectionate Nicknames in Japanese
Below we will leave some cute and affectionate nicknames used in the Japanese language. ing that some of the nicknames below need to be pronounced with suffixes (chan, kun) to make any sense. I will mark with [#] the ones that need a suffix.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
| ダーリン | daarin | Darling - From English darling |
| ハニー | haii | Honey - Honey |
| 旦那 | husband | cute husband shape |
| 嫁 | bride | bride, wife |
| 奥さん | wife | Wife |
| 夫 | otto | Husband |
| 妻 | wife | Wife |
| 団子 | dango | Japanese Sweet # |
| 鼠ちゃん | nezumichan | mouse |
| あなた | you | Dear |
| スウィーティー | sooooooo | honey, sweetness |
Pejorative nicknames in Japanese
Below we will leave a list of nicknames that are used as insults, or derogatory . We recommend also reading our article that talks about swear words in Japanese. that derogatory nicknames in Japanese are also used by changing the name.
Some add a word that looks like a name but has an insulting flavor by adding the formal suffix -san. Some of the nicknames in the list below will explain this well. Sometimes the insult is not intentional, just a characteristic of the person.
We recommend reading: 100 Curses and Insults in Japanese
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
| 駄目君 | damekun | failed |
| ボケ | boke | Idiot |
| バカちゃん | bakachan | Idiot |
| バカち | bakachi | Idiot |
| 不細工 | busaiku | Desajeitado |
| ガキ | brat | Shorty, Brat |
| 豚 | buta | Pig |
| あほ | aho | Donkey |
| 変態 | hentai | Pervertido |
Fluffy Suffixes in Japanese
The idea below is simple, in the circle you put the person's name followed by the treatment suffix. Doing so serves as a nickname and cute treat for a close friend. All suffixes below are considered cute and affectionate.
Some of the suffixes below are more appropriate when used when acquiring or merging a name. As in the case of Fujita Niko can become Nikorun using the merging of the name with the suffix run. Check if the chosen suffix does not fit better like this.
- 〇〇ちゃん - chan
- 〇〇ちゃそ - chaso
- 〇〇ちゃま - chama
- 〇〇ちゅん - chun
- 〇〇しゃん - shan
- 〇〇たん - tan
- 〇〇たそ - taso
- 〇〇たゃ - tya
- 〇〇きゅん - kyun
- 〇〇きゃん - kyan
- 〇〇ん - n
- 〇〇やん - yan
- 〇〇はん - han
- 〇〇ちん - chin
- 〇〇りん - rin
- 〇〇めろ - mero
- 〇〇める - meru
- 〇〇にゃ - nya
- 〇〇みゅ - myu
- 〇〇にゃん - nyan
- 〇〇ぴょん - pyon
- 〇〇ぽぽ - popo
- 〇〇ころ - koro
- 〇〇しゃん - shyan
- 〇〇ぺこ - peko
- 〇〇ち - chi
- 〇〇す - su
- 〇〇ぴ - pi
- 〇〇ぷー - puu
- 〇〇ーぬ - ーnu
- 〇〇もち - mochi
- 〇〇まる - maru
- 〇〇ぽよ - poyo
- 〇〇っちょ - ttyo
- 〇〇ちょこ - choko (love chocolate)
- 〇〇めろ
- うさ〇〇 - Prefixo (Usagi)
- ゆめ〇〇 - Prefixo (夢)
- 〇〇てぃー
Research sources: Fluent
