Jisho

×
47fd9521430630b155a0682dd5f0faf3
1 Reply ・ Started by JSnow at 2021-06-06 04:21:07 UTC ・ Last reply by Leebo at 2021-06-06 07:33:04 UTC
This is a discussion about

How common is this suffix?

Just curious as to when to use this suffix and how often it gets used by native speakers, thx!

6ee23c5fa55b37168c3f360dded0acaa
Leebo at 2021-06-06 07:33:04 UTC

氏 is generally used in written settings for situations where the writer is trying to keep a serious, neutral tone while still being respectful. So you would most often see it applied to things like presidents or prime ministers, etc. in news articles.

バイデン氏
菅氏

If you're having a normal conversation, or writing in a casual setting, then using things like さん for even those people is quite normal.

IIRC, I've seen it in novels as well.

Historically, 氏 was used for men, and 女史 (じょし) was used for women. This distinction is now obsolete and 氏 is gender neutral.

to reply.