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addressing your spouse 2015/9/23 09:04
How do Japanese address their spouse? What does the wife say to address her husband? And vice versa? In several of the following example scenarios:

(I have read about using "anata" -- but is that still common to use nowadays? And I also read about shortening longer names, but what if their name is already a short one?)

1. "XXXX! (Calling them, as in, getting their attention)
2. "I want to know what YOU (XXXX) think." (Emphasis on YOU)
3. "Remember the time you (XXXX) did that funny thing......?"
4. Sitting at the dining table with many people present, speaking to another family member, "Please give this to XXXX."
5. In a more intimate setting.
6. Talking to a third person about XXXX. Is the spouse's name used, or is the term, "husband/wife" used more typically? "I think I will make plans to go shopping with XXXX on that day."
by menj (guest)  

Re: addressing your spouse 2015/9/23 13:34
I have read about using "anata" -- but is that still common to use nowadays?

No. But old couples are still alive, and a lot of them use the "anata/omae" routine.

And I also read about shortening longer names, but what if their name is already a short one?)

That's probably just a general idea of nicknames, meaning names you use to call any friend or cousin or younger sibling. It's the same thing as calling an Elizabeth a Beth or Betty or something totally different for some reason.

A lot of people also call their spouse "mama/papa, okaasann/otousan, obaasan/ojiisan" depending on whether you have children/grandchildren.

All above habits apply for situations 1, 2 and 3.

4. Sitting at the dining table with many people present, speaking to another family member, "Please give this to XXXX."

When talking to your children, you tend to use the terms the children use which are usually "mama/papa, okaasan/otousan." When talking to your in-laws or your own parents, I feel it's common to say "first name-san."

5. In a more intimate setting.

Who knows? ;)

6. Talking to a third person about XXXX. Is the spouse's name used, or is the term, "husband/wife" used more typically?

The Japanese tend to use actual names as opposed to how people in English-speaking countries traditionally do. So people tend to use terms like "tsuma/otto" as well as "chounan, jijo, musuko, musume" for their children.

But if the third person knows XXXX more than they know you, you tend to use XXXX's name without "san/chan".

There are always exceptions, of course.
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