彼
kare[ka̠]
The Japanese way to say "he" is 彼 (kare). Wiktionary also lists あの方 (ano kata) and あの人 (ano hito).
Meaning: personal pronoun "he" (pron)
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 |
While 彼 is the standard translation for "he", it is also frequently used to mean "boyfriend" when used in a personal or romantic context.
Which one should you use?
あの人 is a common, gender-neutral way to say "he" or "she" when referring to someone previously mentioned or nearby. In formal or respectful speech, it is much more natural to use あの方 instead of 彼 to refer to a man. そいつ is a highly informal and often rude way to refer to a male person, similar to "that guy" or "that fellow" in a derogatory sense.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
あの人 is a common, gender-neutral way to say "he" or "she". そいつ, 奴 and その奴 are considered impolite.
How do you pronounce it?
kare
Did you know?
- The specific use of 彼 to denote a male person is a relatively recent development in Japanese history. This shift occurred primarily during the late Edo and early Meiji periods to facilitate the translation of Western literature.
- In many Japanese sentences, the word for 'he' is omitted entirely if the subject is already understood from the context. This is much more common than in English.
- The term 奴 can be used as a rough way to say 'he', but in some very specific historical or regional contexts, it was once used as a humble way to refer to oneself.
Examples in context
- 彼は名医だ。He is a good doctor.This sentence is useful for showing how to use 彼 to describe someone's profession.Tatoeba #99659 by bunbuku, translation #304039 by CK
- 彼は怒った。He got angry.This sentence is useful for showing how to use 彼 to describe an emotional state.Tatoeba #101836 by bunbuku, translation #507233 by CM
- 彼は天才だ。He is a genius.This sentence is useful for showing how to use 彼 to describe a person's talent.Tatoeba #101933 by bunbuku, translation #301761 by CK
- 彼は先生です。He is a teacher.
- 彼は映画が好き。He likes movies.
- 7681 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are talking about a mutual friend.
- 美咲 Misaki彼はいつここに来るの？Kare wa itsu koko ni kuru no?When is he coming here?
- 健太 Kentaたぶんあと十分くらいだよ。Tabun ato juppun kurai dayo.Probably in about ten minutes.
- 美咲 Misaki彼はいつも時間に遅いね。Kare wa itsumo jikan ni osoi ne.He is always late.
- 健太 Kentaまあ、それが彼らしいよ。Maa, sore ga kare rashii yo.Well, that's just like him.
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.
