What is the exact nuance of dude or man?
I'm studying English from Japan.
I want to know how people feel about dude or man.
Is it just a friendly way to call close friends? Like addressing a boyfriend or girlfriend as honey? Or does it include disrespectful meaning?
In Japanese people don't use you if they're not close friends. Usually they call by name or just don't say you because people know talking to you.
But many people call close friends anta, omae, that is meaning 'you' a lot. But anata is a little disrespectful and omae is a really disrespectful word. Maybe it's like strong "You!" or "HEY YOU!" in English.
But using like dude or man a lot.
But in English, dude and man aren't disrespectful words? People don't feel annoyed if friends use the words?
Best Answer
Both "dude" and "man" are INFORMAL.
Whether or not they are disrespectful depends on whether you are expected to have a formal or informal relationship with the person you are addressing. If you have a familiar relationship already, calling them either term reinforces that familiarity. If I say to my friend "Check this out, man!" the subtext of the message is that our relationship is such that we can use familiar terms, and it strengthens the relationship.
On the other hand if I find a traffic policeman writing me a parking ticket, and I say "You can't do that, man!" then it is disrespectful. By using an informal term in a situation that calls for formality, I am refusing to acknowledge the authority of the other person and thus disrespecting their position.
Also, a lot depends on the TONE with which you say them. As with any sentence, an aggressive tone makes the same word seem more offensive than a friendly tone.
See, for example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77v_Q0mhbZU (0:00 to 0:45)