39180


Since a few months, I'm watching Detective Conan in Japanese with subtitles
(because only the first 308 episodes are available in German). After a few
episodes, I did some research on japanese names, since "-san", "-chan",
"-kun", etc. was confusing me.

I've noticed, that:

  * The Detective Boys call Conan "Conan- _kun_ ", which seems to be perfectly normal, according to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_honorifics#Kun)

  * Genta and Mitsuhiko call Ayumi "Ayumi- _chan_ " (according to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_honorifics#Chan), this is okay as well, since they are young children)

  * Hiroshi Agasa calls Ai "Ai- _kun_ "

But:

  * The Detective Boys (including Conan) call Ai always "Haibara- _san_ "

Why do they treat Ai, like she was an adult? Genta, Mitsuhiko and Ayumi can't
know, that Ai is actually an 18-year-old woman.


CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-27T18:29:40.960
39164
2019-01-02T06:19:06.983
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question
japanese-language detective-conan
Why do Conan and the Detective Boys call Ai "Haibara-san"?


To expand [my comment](https://anime.stackexchange.com/questions/39164/why-do-
conan-and-the-detective-boys-call-ai-haibara-san#comment53241_39164), it's
because she's a transfer student and always act mature

[![Case Closed Chapter 398 Page
3](https://i.stack.imgur.com/IpjIG.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/IpjIG.jpg)

Ayumi tried to call her Ai-cahn several times but too afraid to do so

[![Case Closed Chapter 398 Page
4](https://i.stack.imgur.com/sZY2Y.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/sZY2Y.jpg)

But in the end, she was able to call he Ai-chan, but when the other called her
that, she refused

[![Case Closed Chapter 398 Page
18](https://i.stack.imgur.com/yTeWg.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/yTeWg.jpg)

Pictures taken from Case Closed Chapter 398 and 400


CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-28T08:33:44.033
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2017-02-28T08:33:44.033
2017-04-13T12:54:48.953
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answer


-kun and -chan is actually used for someone in the same age with you, younger, or very close to you

-san used for someone older or you respect that person. But -san also can use for someone who's not really close to you. 

In those context, they even calls Ai with her (fake) family name, Haibara.
Because it's sounds more polite and if we add -san it will be more more
polite. Especially for someone like Haibara who's not easy to getting closer,
that's why the boys (Genta and Mitsuhiko) still called her with Haibara or
Haibara-san.


CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-02T06:19:06.983
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2019-01-02T06:19:06.983
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answer