Common Honorifics

In order to preserve the authenticity of the Japanese setting of this book, we have chosen to retain the honorifics used in the original language to express the relationships between characters.

No honorific:	Indicates familiarity or closeness; if used without permission or reason, addressing someone in this manner would constitute an insult.
-san:	The Japanese equivalent of Mr./Mrs./Miss. If a situation calls for politeness, this is the fail-safe honorific.
-kun:	Used most often when referring to boys, this indicates affection or familiarity. Occasionally used by older men among their peers, but it may also be used by anyone referring to a person of lower standing.
-chan:	An affectionate honorific indicating familiarity used mostly in reference to girls; also used in reference to cute persons or animals of either gender.
-senpai:	An honorific indicating respect for a senior member of an organization. Often used by younger students with their upperclassmen at school.
-sensei:	An honorific indicating respect for a master of some field of study. Perhaps most commonly known as the form of address for teachers in school.