100 Cute & Funny Nicknames in Japanese

We want to tell our readers that in the Japanese language there are many interesting facts that are related to nicknames. Although the Japanese language is a very formal language, nicknames are used often, there are some cute nicknames that tend to be literally puns on the names. That is why in this opportunity we will show you the best 100 nicknames in Japanese.

Japanese may be an exaggeratedly formal language, but sometimes foul language such as nicknames is used on this side of the world. In fact, when one person approaches another, they usually call him/her by his/her first name, as this is the main way of expressing love, affection and friendship.

It is for this reason that it is not easy to find a list of Japanese nicknames because the nicknames are often literally puns on the names, along with the addition of some cute suffix.

But at Procrastina Fácil we are here to help you find the right Japanese nickname for that iconic character in your life that you want to surprise.

Let’s know a little about the variant of Japanese used for nicknames.

Japanese nicknames are called adana [あだ名], also known as aijyou [愛称] which indicates that it refers to animal nicknames, affectionate, intimate and informal.

The possibilities are endless to create a Japanese nickname but, to make one of these creations from zero, it is necessary to have an advanced knowledge in Japanese ideograms and also to know very well the person in order to resemble some characteristic to his or her name.

Before writing Japanese nicknames we must know that Japanese writing comes from the Chinese characters that were brought to Japan through Korea in the 4th century. Words in Japanese are classified in three types: “katakana”, “hiragana” and “kanji”.

“Hiragana” and “katakana” are phonetic alphabets in which each letter represents a syllable, while “kanji” is a writing system where words look like drawn pieces and have a meaning.

Many words have a Kanji form; they are like drawings and images that, when we see them, they transmit in an instant the meaning of the word they are composed of. Consequently, Kanji summarize and shorten texts.

What are the best nicknames in Japanese and how are they made?

In the Japanese language there are many interesting facts related to nicknames. Adjectives are often used to express affection such as Wawai, which is the most common affectionate way of calling another person. Motorcycles and automobiles are also have nicknames: some call their vehicles Hayate which means fast or Nozomi because their vehicles have features resembling a bullet train.

Just as we do, the Japanese also make contractions of names. Just as we contract Jonathan to Jhony, the Japanese go from Haruna to Haru. As a nickname, another rather unusual suffix that gives off tenderness, affection and sweetness is “-tan” (used for babies and cute children) as well as the famous suffix “-san” for giving a warrior air (like Daniel-san from the Karate Kid, a memorable example). But “-san” is also used as a suffix in political conversations.

With that being said, let’s present the 100 best Japanese nicknames with their respective kanji writing. Let’s get started:

Japanese nicknames that highlight characteristics and qualities of the person

The following nicknames or Japanese words are used to identify someone.

Pejorative Japanese Nicknames

Here is another list of nicknames that are used in a somewhat insulting way, but not intentionally, only to highlight some negative characteristic of the person (if the person who receives it does not like it, discard it immediately).

Some nicknames, depending on the context, can be offensive, so they are not common in Japan for the reasons mentioned above. Here are some Japanese nicknames of pejorative origin:

Apodos en japonés para expresar cariño

Japanese culture is very respectful and does not tend to express the love they may feel towards a loved one. However, there are some nicknames like the ones shown below, which are often used to express affection, love and empathy towards other people:

Generalized Japanese nicknames

The following nicknames refer to words commonly used in Japanese that describe characteristics, personal attitudes and even names of flowers and special objects! (Japanese use these names to call their babies and pets).

The reader interested in the use of this language should know that in this language very few nicknames are used because, as we have explained throughout the post, it is a very formal language. However, we can use these nicknames in Japanese based on different characteristics of life itself and culture of this beautiful and advanced country, as a way to change the monotony and surprise when calling those around you.

Did we leave any Japanese nicknames out? Let us know in the comments so we can include them in a future installment.