Kun
/kʊn/noun
A Japanese honorific suffix commonly used for boys, young men, or people of junior status.
Did you know?Kun ultimately comes from the Japanese word 君, meaning “lord,” “ruler,” or “you,” preserving an ancient link between personal address and social rank.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Japanese
Japanese
君 (kimi)
“Lord, ruler, or you; a respectful form of address”
Early Japanese
Japanese
君 (kun)
“A lord or superior; the character’s Sino-Japanese reading”
Medieval Japanese
Japanese
君 (kun)
“A term of address associated with rank, intimacy, or a male addressee”
Modern Japanese
Japanese
〜君 (kun)
“An honorific suffix used especially for boys, young men, male students, or junior colleagues”
20th–21st Century
English
kun
“An English loanword referring to the Japanese honorific suffix”