Thursday, 17 December 2015

word choice - What's the difference in usage between 氏名 (しめい) and 名前 (なまえ)?



What's the difference in usage between 氏名 (しめい) and 名前 (なまえ)?


I often see these two words used interchangeably, but more often than not I see 氏名 on websites. Is this a politeness difference or an actual word definition difference?



Answer



氏名 always refers to a person's full name, both family and given. It also has the connotation of "legal name."


名前 also refers to a person's full name—but it can also mean their given name, in the right context (for instance, "We gave the baby a name" or "I want you to call me by my name"). 名前 can also refer to the names of objects, while 氏名 cannot.


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