Japanese Conversation · Level 16
90 words
Japanese word
男
Pronunciation
Romajiotoko
Meaning
- nounman
Example
その男は先生です。so no otoko wa sen sei de su
That man is a teacher.
More examples
その男は大きな荷物を持っています。so no otoko wa ō ki na ni motsu o mo tte i ma su
That man is carrying a large bag.
Core concept
Centers on a person identified as male, especially an adult male in contrast with a woman.
Common phrases
男の人otoko no hito
man
男の子otoko no ko
boy
Similar words
男の人otokonohito: A conversational expression for a person who is male, especially an adult.
男性dansei: A neutral word for a male person in formal writing and factual descriptions.
Definition in Japanese
性別が男性である人、特に成人の男性を指す語。sei betsu ga dan sei de a ru hito toku ni sei jin no dan sei o sa su go
Word origin
The native Japanese word 男 (otoko, "man") predates its written form and was later represented by the Chinese character 男 (dan, "male"), whose meaning matches the word.
Usage tips
- In conversational Japanese, the fuller phrase 男の人 (otoko no hito) is common for "man", while 男 (otoko) alone can sound more direct when it refers to a person.