What does 氏 mean after a name, how is it different from さん or 様?


If you look in the dictionary for the definition of 氏 you'll find it defined
as: family name; lineage; birth.

However I have seen it used in such a way that it is doubtful that it means
any of those things in certain contexts.

Here's an example sentence:

今日はマオ氏のアーバンカーで送ってもらった♪(´ε｀ )

What does 氏 mean here?

Note: Mao is a very famous Japanese singer.




The list of respectful honorifics, with more respectful at the top, goes like
this:

  1. 殿{どの}
  2. 氏{し} 
  3. 様{さま}
  4. さん
  5. チャン、くん
  6. (not putting an honorific)

There are more, with obscurities like `刀自{とうじ}`, and you can see a [full list
here (in
Japanese)](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%95%AC%E7%A7%B0#.E6.8E.A5.E5.B0.BE.E8.A9.9E.E5.9E.8B).

`殿{どの}` means "lord", which you might use in a sense like "[Lord
Byron](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Byron)". Items 2 down to 4 can, and
often are, all translated as variants of "Mr", or "Mrs/Ms".

However, this is one of those situations where the English is only a starting
guide for the learner, but the translation breaks down pretty quickly.

The first notable differences is that the Japanese is not gender specific,
except for number 5, where `ちゃん` is _usually_ female and `君{くん}` is _usually_
male. But not always.

Another difference is that they can be applied to first names as well, which
often trips English learners of Japanese. There are giggles at the thought
that someone might call you "Mr Bob", but they **don't mean** "Mr", it's just
a respectful way of addressing someone. `ボブさん` is fine, so the sooner you can
get away from the "Mr" correlate, the better.

_(Note that it's pretty rare for a Japanese person to refer to another
Japanese person by attaching`さん` to what English speakers would call a "first"
name, but it's not because it's necessarily wrong to do so, just that it's
usually it's more proper and respectful to use the family name.)_

Another difference is that they aren't really used on their own. So, for
example, in English, you might say to someone "Hey mister!", you wouldn't call
out in Japanese `「おい、さん！」`.

Okay, so, all that said, what does it imply if you use `氏{し}` with someone's
name instead of `さん`? Well, since we can throw out trying to translate it to
English, we can simply say this: it's just _more respectful_ than `さん`. If you
look at it like that, you can't go wrong.

There are some circumstances, like work or other places, where `氏{し}` might be
standard as part of the keigo used. However, in the sentence in the question,
it's a matter of a fan adoring a pop star. Using `氏{し}` conveys that higher
respect, and also smacks just a little of old-school hierarchy. It's like
referring to David Bowie as something like [Master
Bowie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bowie), if you happened to be a fan
of his.

Part of the confusion in the question is that `氏{し}` also has other
definitions, like "lineage" and so on. That's just a function of the kanji
carrying a meaning, as kanji characters do. The kanji `様{さま}` also has various
meanings, like "manner, kind, appearance", but that doesn't impact that it's
used as an honorific, although it might have factored into why that kanji got
used in the first place. But don't take the kanji definitions too far. `様{さま}`
also means "mess, sorry state, plight", which are definitions that have
nothing to do with its use as an honorific.

Hope that helps.

