73883
Every time I walk by a barbershop (not a 美容院), I think of the words 散髪屋 and
床屋. Which word is correct, or sounds better, more interesting, for a non-
native speaker to use in a conversation?

And, after either, is it possible to add "さん"? Such as 散髪屋さん and 床屋さん?

By adding, "さん" what nuance does it add?
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-14T00:29:21.313
73880
2020-01-14T05:30:04.163
2020-01-14T00:55:21.480
4835
4835
question
word-choice nuances
Better to say 床屋 or 散髪屋?
It is not that one of the two is any more correct than the other; Both are
"correct". Certainly, neither one sounds better or more interesting.

「散髪屋{さんぱつや}」, however, is mainly used in Kansai as explained in [this
dictionary of Osaka
dialect](https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E6%95%A3%E9%AB%AA%E5%B1%8B?dictCode=OSAKA).

Around Tokyo (or eastern half of the country in general), it would be safe to
say 「床屋{とこや}」 is **far** more common.

In either case, the more formal term is 「理容店{りようてん}」 or 「理髪店{りはつてん}」, but
those are not too often used in our informal, everyday conversations as they
sound fairly technical.

Regarding attaching a 「さん」, it adds an amount of politeness and a sense of
affinity. Quite a few native speakers will use it when talking about a
barber's shop with others. 「床屋/散髪屋」 with or without a 「さん」 can refer to either
the shop or the owner.
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-01-14T05:13:24.443
73883
2020-01-14T05:30:04.163
2020-01-14T05:30:04.163
73880
answer