彼氏いるの？
kareshi iru no?
The English phrase "do you have a boyfriend?" is translated into Japanese as 彼氏いるの？ (kareshi iru no?)
This phrase is used to ask a woman if she is currently in a romantic relationship with a man.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of 彼氏, which means "boyfriend" and いる, which means "to exist" or "to have". In Japanese, いる is the verb used for the existence of living things and functions here as "to have".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form 彼氏いるの？ is informal and is suitable for use among friends or in casual settings. For a more polite version used with people you are not close with, you can use 彼氏いますか？ For example, if addressing someone by their last name, you might say 山田さん、彼氏はいますか？ (Ms. Yamada, do you have a boyfriend?).
How do you pronounce it?
kareshi iru no?
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes mistakenly use 持っている to express having a boyfriend. However, this verb is only used for possessing inanimate objects.
Did you know?
- The phrase 彼氏いるの？ is often used as a 'soft' way to signal romantic interest rather than a genuine request for information.
- While 彼氏 means 'boyfriend', the opposite term 彼女 (kanojo) doubles as the standard pronoun for 'she'.
- Because Japanese frequently omits the subject, いるの？ can mean 'do you have a boyfriend?' or 'is he here?' depending entirely on the context of the conversation.
Examples in context
- 彼氏いるの？kareshi iru no?Do you have a boyfriend?
- 急に聞くけど、彼氏いるの？kyuu ni kiku kedo, kareshi iru no?I'm asking suddenly, but do you have a boyfriend?
- もしかして、彼氏いるの？moshikashite, kareshi iru no?Do you happen to have a boyfriend?
Example conversation
Ren is talking to Yui at a cafe.
- 蓮 Ren結衣さん、彼氏いるの？Yui-san, kareshi iru no?Yui, do you have a boyfriend?
- 結衣 Yuiいいえ、いないよ。Iie, inai yo.No, I don't.
- 蓮 Renそうなんだ。よかった。Sou nan da. Yokatta.I see. That's good.
- 結衣 Yuiどうして笑ってるの？Doushite waratteru no?Why are you smiling?
