お客きゃくさん

お

きゃ

く

さ

ん

JLPTN4

Meanings

1

noun

guest; visitor

honorific or respectful (sonkeigo)

Polite term for a guest or visitor, typically in a home or private setting. Honorific language shows respect toward the person.

今日きょう

は

お

客きゃく

さん

が

来く

る

から

、

部屋へや

を

きれい

に

し

て

おこう

。

A guest is coming today, so let's tidy up the room.

2

noun

customer; client; shopper; spectator; audience; tourist; sightseer; passenger

honorific or respectful (sonkeigo)

Polite term for a customer or client in a business context, or for a spectator, audience member, tourist, or passenger. The exact meaning depends on the setting.

あの店みせはいつもお客きゃくさんでいっぱいだ。
That shop is always full of customers.
お客きゃくさん、何なにかお探さがし

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉にお客きゃくさんが来くるa guest comes to (a place)
今日きょうは家いえにお客きゃくさんが来くる。
We have a guest coming to our house today.
お客きゃくさんを迎むかえるto welcome a guest or customer
店てん員いんは笑え顔がおでお客きゃくさんを迎むかえた。
The clerk welcomed the customer with a smile.
お客きゃくさんの相あい手てをするto attend to a customer
忙いそがしくてお客きゃくさんの相あい手てをする時じ間かんがなかった。
I was so busy I didn't have time to attend to the customers.
お客きゃくさんが並ならぶcustomers line up
開かい店てん前まえからお客きゃくさんが並ならんでいた。
Customers were already lining up before the store opened.

Kanji

客guest, visitor, customer

Related words

客きゃくN4
客 is the plain, unadorned word for a guest or customer, while お客さん adds polite お…さん framing to show courtesy toward that person.
ゲストN1
お客さん is the general, everyday word for a customer or visitor, while ゲスト is a loanword reserved for invited guests at events, shows, or hospitality settings.
来らい客きゃくN1
お客さん is a polite, everyday word for a customer or guest, while 来客 is a neutral noun used mainly in announcements or writing.
訪ほう問もん者しゃ
お客さん is a polite, everyday term for a customer or guest, whereas 訪問者 is more neutral and often used for official or scheduled visits.

Politeness

お客きゃく様さまhonorific 尊敬語
お客様 uses 様 instead of さん, making it more formal and respectful than お客さん, so it's preferred in professional service settings.
客きゃくplainN4
お客さん is the polite, everyday form of 客 used especially by shop staff addressing or referring to customers.

Etymology

Formed from 客 (きゃく, 'guest/customer') with the honorific prefix お and suffix さん, creating a polite noun.

です

か

。

Are you looking for something, sir/ma'am?