Douglas DeGidio wrote:

I was just wondering what the real connotations on the suffixs -chan
and -kun are?  I know that theydon't denote boy or girl but I can't
figure out what they do denote.

	-chan and -kun are very similar to endings like -sama and -san.
	
	-chan is used after a person's name to denote affection or 
intimacy, it is also used when refering to children, generally before 
puberty, and pets. Respectfully this carries the least weight of the 
suffixes, but emotionally and relationally it is very powerful. Few 
people would call a friend -chan, although Ranma does call Ukyou, 
Ucchan. One of my friends almost started calling a Japanese girl who 
lived in his dorm by -chan. He didn't understand what it meant, and the 
result probably would've been rather uncomfortable for the both of them.

	-kun means exactly the same as -san however it is used in a more 
informal style, for example..you would refer to a well-known colleague 
as -kun. Also -kun is used when speaking to younger people and 
acquaintances who are not personal friends..friends usually reply to 
each other by first name.. Kasumi refers to Ranma as Ranma-kun. She 
does use it in a familiar way though, yes there are different ways to 
use each just by putting inflection on the suffix. In most cases, use 
-san if you're not sure of the relationship. 
	Someone might want to correct me on this, but I believe if the 
-kun is used with the first name it means something different than when 
used with the family name, also I've never seen -chan used with the 
family name, I believe that is very disrespectful.

	Well I hope this helps

	Joseph Kohle