彼氏
kareshi[ka̠ɾe̞ɕi]
The English word "beau" translates to the Japanese noun 彼氏 (kareshi).
Meaning: dandy (noun)
Which one should you use?
While the term 彼 can be used informally to mean a boyfriend or beau, 彼氏 is more specific to a romantic partner than the more general pronoun 彼.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
彼氏 is a term commonly used in casual conversation rather than in formal or highly polite settings.
How do you pronounce it?
kareshi
Did you know?
- Japanese has a specific term 彼氏候補 (kareshi kōho) which literally means 'boyfriend candidate' for someone a person is considering dating.
- If you were to use the suffix 氏 (shi) in a business context, it is a highly respectful way to refer to someone, but in 彼氏, it loses that politeness and becomes part of a casual noun.
- While 彼氏 is used for a boyfriend, the term for a girlfriend 彼女 (kanojo) also serves as the general pronoun for 'she', unlike the split between 彼 and 彼氏.
Examples in context
- あの人は私の男性の恋人ですThat person is my male lover.
- 昨日、彼とデートしましたYesterday, I went on a date with him.
- 彼は私のボーイフレンドですHe is my boyfriend.
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are talking about Yui's new partner.
- 結衣 Yuiねえ、私の彼氏を思い出して。Nee, watashi no kareshi o omoidashite.Hey, remember my beau?
- 健太 Kentaああ、かっこいい人だったね。Aa, kakkoii hito datta ne.Oh, he was a handsome man.
- 結衣 Yui彼は本当に優しい彼氏なの。Kare wa hontou ni yasashii kareshi nano.He really is a kind beau.
- 健太 Kentaそれは良かったね。Sore wa yokatta ne.That's great.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 彼氏, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
