佐藤
Satō[sa̠to̞ː]
Sato is the Japanese surname 佐藤 (Satō).
佐藤 is a common Japanese surname. In Japanese social interaction, it is standard practice to attach an honorific suffix to the name when addressing or referring to the person.
Meaning: Japanese surname 佐藤 (name)
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to a person named Sato, you should almost always add the honorific suffix -san to the name, such as in 佐藤さん.
How do you pronounce it?
Satō
When do people say it?
佐藤 is one of the most common surnames in Japan.
Did you know?
- In Japanese, 佐藤 is a homophone for the word for 'sugar', which is also written as 砂糖 and pronounced satō.
- The first character 佐 means 'assistant' or 'help', and the second character 藤 refers to the wisteria flower.
- The name 佐藤 is thought to have originated from the Fujiwara clan, one of the most powerful noble families in ancient Japanese history.
Examples in context
- 佐藤さんをお願いします。I want to speak to Mr. Sato, please.This sentence shows how to use 佐藤 to request to speak to someone.Tatoeba #1166621 by bunbuku, translation #38479 by CN
- 佐藤さんは英語を上手に話します。Mr Sato speaks English well.This sentence uses 佐藤 to describe a person's ability.Tatoeba #170946 by small_snow, translation #243534 by AlanF_US
- 佐藤さんから１１時に電話がありました。Mr Sato called at eleven.This sentence uses 佐藤 to note a phone call from a person.Tatoeba #170951 by small_snow, translation #243529 by shekitten
- さとうさんは、大学の尊敬されている先生です。Mr. Sato is a respected professor at a university.
- おはようございます、さとう先生！Good morning, Sensei Sato!
- さとうくん、待ち合わせしよう！Let's meet up, Sato-kun!
- お誕生日おめでとう、さとうちゃん！Happy birthday, Sato-chan!
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two coworkers are talking about a new employee in the office.
- 陽葵 Himari新しく来た人は佐藤さんですか？Atarashiku kita hito wa Sato-san desu ka?Is the new person Mr. Sato?
- 蓮 Renはい、佐藤さんですよ。Hai, Sato-san desu yo.Yes, that is Mr. Sato.
- 陽葵 Himari佐藤さんはとても親切そうですね。Sato-san wa totemo shinsetsu sou desu ne.Mr. Sato seems very kind, doesn't he?
- 蓮 Renそうですね。いい人だと思います。Sou desu ne. Ii hito da to omoimasu.I agree. I think he is a good person.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sato” translations and entries 佐藤, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
