Confusing words that sound like a name and a suffix


I don't know Japanese but from watching anime I remember the word (?)
"taisan". I am also not a native English speaker so I'm not sure if I've
correctly written how the word sounds. Google translate gave me this "退散"
which seems to sound right.

So, anyway, I was thinking if that word sounds like "taisan" how would a
Japanese person differentiate between it and calling a human, named "Tai",
"mister", i.e. "tai-san"?




> how would a Japanese person differentiate between it and calling a human,
> named "Tai", "mister", i.e. "tai-san"?

These are different in pitch accent.

退散 is pronounced [たいさん]{LHHH} and たいさん as a name and an honorific suffix (eg
田井さん = Mr/Ms Tai), [たいさん]{HLLL}.

{{pad}} Similar examples:  
解散 [かいさん]{LHHH} ・ 甲斐さん [かいさん]{HLLL}  
研鑽 [けんさん]{LHHH} ・ 健さん [けんさん]{HLLL}  
減産 [げんさん]{LHHH} ・ 玄さん [げんさん]{HLLL}  
閑散/換算 [かんさん]{LHHH} ・ 菅さん [かんさん]{HLLL}  
拡散/核酸 [かくさん]{LHHH} ・ 格さん [かくさん]{HLLL}  
計算 [けいさん]{LHHH} ・ 圭さん [けいさん]{HLLL}  
晩餐 [ばんさん]{LHHH} ・ 伴さん [ばんさん]{HLLL}  
量産 [りょうさん]{LLHHH} ・ 両さん [りょうさん]{HHLLL}  
倒産 [とうさん]{LHHH} ・ 父さん [とうさん]{HLLL} ← father  
増産 [ぞうさん]{LHHH} ・ 象さん [ぞうさん]{HLLL} ← elephant




> how would a Japanese person differentiate between it and calling a human,
> named "Tai", "mister", i.e. "tai-san"?

These are different in pitch accent.

退散 is pronounced [たいさん]{LHHH} and たいさん as a name and an honorific suffix (eg
田井さん = Mr/Ms Tai), [たいさん]{HLLL}.

{{pad}} Similar examples:  
解散 [かいさん]{LHHH} ・ 甲斐さん [かいさん]{HLLL}  
研鑽 [けんさん]{LHHH} ・ 健さん [けんさん]{HLLL}  
減産 [げんさん]{LHHH} ・ 玄さん [げんさん]{HLLL}  
閑散/換算 [かんさん]{LHHH} ・ 菅さん [かんさん]{HLLL}  
拡散/核酸 [かくさん]{LHHH} ・ 格さん [かくさん]{HLLL}  
計算 [けいさん]{LHHH} ・ 圭さん [けいさん]{HLLL}  
晩餐 [ばんさん]{LHHH} ・ 伴さん [ばんさん]{HLLL}  
量産 [りょうさん]{LLHHH} ・ 両さん [りょうさん]{HHLLL}  
倒産 [とうさん]{LHHH} ・ 父さん [とうさん]{HLLL} ← father  
増産 [ぞうさん]{LHHH} ・ 象さん [ぞうさん]{HLLL} ← elephant

