Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 彼氏 | kareshi | [ka̠ɾe̞ɕi] (narrow) |
| カレ | kare | |
| 彼 | kare | [ka̠] (narrow) [ka̠ɾe̞] (narrow) |
| ボーイフレンド | bōifurendo | [bo̞ːiɸɯ̟̊ɾẽ̞ndo̞] (narrow) |
The primary way to refer to a male partner in a romantic relationship is 彼氏. You may also encounter 恋人, which translates to "lover" and can be used to refer to a boyfriend. The word 彼 can also be used to mean "boyfriend", but it is frequently used as the third-person pronoun "he" depending on the context.
Which one should you use?
彼氏 is the most common and specific way to refer to a boyfriend in casual conversation. In contrast, 彼 is more ambiguous because it is primarily used as the neutral or formal pronoun for "he". ボーイフレンド is a loanword from English. It is used less frequently than 彼氏 and can sound more Western or stylized, often appearing in contexts like literature or song lyrics.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
彼 can function as an informal term for boyfriend, but it is also the standard pronoun for "he" in neutral or formal settings. The loanword ボーイフレンド is an informal, casual term.
How does it change in a sentence?
彼氏 is a noun that does not change its form for pluralization. You must rely on context or additional particles to indicate if you are talking about more than one person.
How do you pronounce it?
kareshi
Did you know?
- The specific use of 彼 as a gendered third-person pronoun 'he' is a relatively modern development, arising only during the late Edo or early Meiji periods.
- The suffix 氏 in 彼氏 is often used in Japanese to refer to a person with respect, yet here it is part of a casual term for a boyfriend.
- The word 恋人 translates literally to 'lover' and is a gender-neutral way to describe a romantic partner.
Examples in context
- 彼氏はいますか？Do you have a boyfriend?This example shows the standard polite way to ask if someone has a boyfriend.Tatoeba #4443249 by chihiro, translation #540088 by gracehero
- 彼氏ならいるよ。I have a boyfriend.This example uses 彼 to state that one has a boyfriend.Tatoeba #9812299 by small_snow, translation #3947203 by Balamax
- 彼氏はいません。I don't have a boyfriend.This example uses 彼 to state that one does not have a boyfriend.Tatoeba #10349022 by small_snow, translation #2234871 by Hybrid
- 134 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiyori and Yota are talking about their weekend plans.
- 陽葵 Himari今週末、彼氏と買い物に行きます。Konshūmatsu, kareshi to kaimono ni ikimasu.I'm going shopping with my boyfriend this weekend.
- 陽太 Yotaいいですね。どこに行くんですか？Ii desu ne. Doko ni ikun desu ka?That's nice. Where are you going?
- 陽葵 Himari彼氏がおすすめの店があるそうです。Kareshi ga osusume no mise ga aru sō desu.My boyfriend says there's a shop he recommends.
- 陽太 Yotaそれは楽しみですね。Sore wa tanoshimi desu ne.That sounds exciting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boyfriend” translations and entries 彼氏, カレ, 彼, ボーイフレンド, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries カレ, ボーイフレンド, 彼, 彼氏, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
