Adding prefix to a name
For Japanese names, I know about adding -san to them. But once, I heard a person (who isn't Japanese) addressing a Japanese person as nii. And the Japanese person seems happy? I know nii means 兄, brother. But I know they are not related? Since one is Japanese, and the other is not. So does adding 兄 means you can drop the -san at the end? Thanks.Or does this just means that they are close?

Question

Adding prefix to a name
For Japanese names, I know about adding -san to them. But once, I heard a person (who isn't Japanese) addressing a Japanese person as nii. And the Japanese person seems happy? I know nii means 兄, brother. But I know they are not related? Since one is Japanese, and the other is not. So does adding 兄 means you can drop the -san at the end? Thanks.Or does this just means that they are close?

Answer

In this case, "nii" means "兄" (older brother). Maybe it is nickname what you heard. For example, there is a man whoes name is Hideo and he had a younger brother. His younger brother call like "Hide-nii". Other case, a person whoes face look like older than same age or a person who is relyed by his freinds like real brother, is called "Aniki" or "○○○-nii" in the classroom.
You should not call "○○○-nii" to a person who looks like older than you and meet a few times. In this case, you should use "○○○○-san".
You can only call a person who is a close friend.
Can you understand what I want to say?

Answer

from dictionary:
兄 【にい】 (n-suf) (1) (fam) used after the name of someone who is an older brother figure; (n) (2) (See お兄さん) used with various honorifics to mean (older) brother

Đừng bỏ lỡ cơ hội học ngoại ngữ ngay tại nhà. Hãy xem danh sách các gia sư ngôn ngữ giàu kinh nghiệm của chúng tôi và đăng ký buổi học đầu tiên ngay hôm nay!