名前
namae[na̠ma̠e̞]
The Japanese phrase for names is 名前 (namae).
名前 is used to refer to a name or names. When you want to refer to someone else's name politely, it is standard to add the honorific prefix お to form お名前 (your name). In Japanese culture, names are often accompanied by honorific suffixes such as -san, which is a safe and widely used option for all genders and ages. For even greater respect, particularly in business or when addressing distinguished individuals, -sama is used. Professionals like teachers or doctors are addressed with -sensei. For more casual or specific social contexts, -kun is primarily used for young boys or male friends, while -chan is mostly used for young girls, close friends or family members.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word 名前 does not change its form to indicate plurality, so it can mean both 'name' and 'names' depending on the context.
How do you pronounce it?
namae
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often try to add a plural marker to 名前 to express 'names', but the form remains the same for both singular and plural.
Did you know?
- Some Japanese people have 'alias' names or 'reading' names that differ from the standard way their 名前 characters are pronounced.
- While -san is the most common suffix, using a person's 名前 without any suffix is called 'yobisute' and can be perceived as very rude or overly intimate.
- Japanese names are traditionally written with the family name first and the given name second.
Examples in context
- 彼は名前を覚えるのが下手だ。He is weak on names.This sentence shows how to use 名前 when talking about remembering a person's name.Tatoeba #99645 by bunbuku, translation #304052 by mrtaistoi
- 全員の名前は覚えられません。I can't remember all their names.This sentence uses 名前 to talk about remembering multiple names.Tatoeba #11264681 by small_snow, translation #2365239 by AlanF_US
- 名前はアルファベット順です。The names are in alphabetical order.This sentence uses 名前 to describe an alphabetical list of names.Tatoeba #11857917 by small_snow, translation #2571497 by sharptoothed
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are looking at a guest list for a party.
- 蓮 Renここに名前が書いてあります。Koko ni namae ga kaite arimasu.The names are written here.
- 結衣 Yui名前を読み間違えないようにしないと。Namae o yomichigaienai you ni shinai to.I have to make sure I don't misread the names.
- 蓮 Ren結衣さんは名前を全部覚えていますか？Yui-san wa namae o zenbu oboete imasu ka?Yui, do you remember all the names?
- 結衣 Yuiいえ、まだ半分も覚えていません。Ie, mada hanbun mo oboete imasen.No, I don't even remember half of them yet.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 名前, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
