Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 彼 | kare | [ka̠] (narrow) [ka̠ɾe̞] (narrow) |
|
| あの方 | ano kata | [a̠no̞ka̠ta̠] (narrow) | polite |
| あの人 | ano hito | [a̠no̞çi̥to̞] (narrow) | feminine, masculine |
| その奴 | sono yatsu | impolite | |
| 奴 | yatsu | impolite, person | |
| そいつ | soitsu | [so̞it͡sɨ] (narrow) | impolite |
In Japanese, the subject is often omitted entirely if the context makes it clear who is being discussed. While 彼 is a common way to say "he", it is also frequently used to mean "boyfriend".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase あの人 literally means "that person", where "that" (referring to someone far from both the speaker and the listener) is combined with "person" (hito).
Which one should you use?
あの人 is a common, gender-neutral way to say "that person" used to avoid the potential ambiguity of 彼. あの方 refers to "that person" in a polite manner, whereas その奴, 奴 and そいつ are impolite forms used to refer to a person or guy.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
あの方 is more natural than 彼 when referring to a man in formal contexts. あの人 is a neutral or informal way to say "that person". 彼 is used in casual conversations or among friends. The forms その奴, 奴 and そいつ are impolite and can be derogatory, often used to express annoyance or familiarity.
How do you pronounce it?
kare
Did you know?
- The word 彼 did not originally mean 'he' in the sense of a male person. It was used to refer to 'that thing' or 'that person' over there, regardless of gender, until the influence of Western translations in the 19th century changed its usage.
- The way Japanese categorizes people often relies more on 'distance' than 'gender'. Using words like あの or その focuses on where the person is located in relation to you rather than just their sex.
- The word 奴 can shift from being a derogatory term for 'that guy' to a sign of extreme intimacy among very close male friends.
Examples in context
- 彼は名医だ。He is a good doctor.This sentence is useful for describing a profession using 彼.Tatoeba #99659 by bunbuku, translation #304039 by CK
- 彼は怒った。He got angry.This sentence is useful for describing an emotional state using 彼.Tatoeba #101836 by bunbuku, translation #507233 by CM
- 彼は天才だ。He is a genius.This sentence is useful for describing a person's ability using 彼.Tatoeba #101933 by bunbuku, translation #301761 by CK
- 彼は学生ですHe is a student.
- あの人はどこですか？Where is he?
- 7681 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are talking about a male coworker.
- 健太 Kenta彼はどこにいますか。Kare wa doko ni imasu ka.Where is he?
- 美咲 Misaki会議室にいると思います。Kaigishitsu ni iru to omoimasu.I think he is in the meeting room.
- 健太 Kenta彼にこの資料を渡してください。Kare ni kono shiryou o watashite kudasai.Please give these documents to him.
- 美咲 Misakiわかりました。伝えておきます。Wakarimashita. Tsutaete okimasu.Understood. I will let him know.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “he” translations and entries 彼, あの方, あの人, 奴, そいつ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries あの人, 彼, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
