Using honorifics when talking about others with friends (indirect speech)


I couldn't find the question already being asked, so please redirect me if it
was already answered.

The honorific suffix －さん is always used when directly speaking to another
person. It is also used when talking e.g. about the father of person referring
to them as 田中さんのお父さん.

However, if I talk with a friend about some other friend or person they know,
do I also use an honorific suffix for their name? Or do I just go with the
name alone?

Example: 田中さん、昨日私は竹山（さん）と話しました。




You still need to use さん. Failing to do so would usually make you look like a
two-faced person. In general, you should not change the way you refer to
someone by name based on whether he/she is present. Well, actually, people
sometimes drop さん intentionally when they speak ill of someone, for example,
but let's not do this while you are a beginner :)

As an exception, using 様 in front of a customer and changing it to さん in a
private office is usually acceptable because 様 is highly formal and
respectful. (Dropping even さん is out of the question.)




You still need to use さん. Failing to do so would usually make you look like a
two-faced person. In general, you should not change the way you refer to
someone by name based on whether he/she is present. Well, actually, people
sometimes drop さん intentionally when they speak ill of someone, for example,
but let's not do this while you are a beginner :)

As an exception, using 様 in front of a customer and changing it to さん in a
private office is usually acceptable because 様 is highly formal and
respectful. (Dropping even さん is out of the question.)

