ヒーロー
hīrō[çiːɾo̞ː]
The Japanese word for hero is ヒーロー. If unsure, use ヒーロー (hīrō). Wiktionary also lists 英雄 (eiyū) and 勇者 (yūsha).
Meaning: person of great bravery (verb)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ヒーロー | hīrō | [çiːɾo̞ː] (narrow) |
| 英雄 | eiyū | [e̞ːjɯ̟ː] (narrow) [çide̞o̞] (narrow) |
| 勇者 | yūsha | [jɯ̟ːɕa̠] (narrow) |
While all three forms refer to a person of great bravery, the choice of word depends heavily on the context of the person being described.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 勇者 is composed of 勇 (bravery) and 者 (person). The term 英雄 is composed of 英 (distinguished/excellent) and 雄 (male/heroic/grand).
Which one should you use?
英雄 is used to describe legendary figures, historical heroes or great leaders. 勇者 is the specific term used for a 'hero' character in RPGs and fantasy settings, often implying a protagonist on a quest. ヒーロー is a loanword used for modern pop culture icons, such as superheroes, sports heroes or characters in movies and TV shows.
How do you pronounce it?
hīrō
Did you know?
- In some contexts, calling oneself a ヒーロー can sound overly childish or naive because it evokes the imagery of children's television shows.
- Japanese media often distinguishes between a ヒーロー and a 主人公, where the latter simply means the 'protagonist' regardless of their morality or bravery.
- The character 雄 in 英雄 originally referred specifically to males, reflecting a historical view that heroism was a masculine trait.
Examples in context
- 彼は英雄のつもりだ。He believes that he is a hero.This sentence uses 英雄 to express someone's self-perception.Tatoeba #109612 by bunbuku, translation #294078 by Dejo
- 私は英雄などではない。I'm not a hero.This sentence uses 英雄 to deny being a hero.Tatoeba #3507377 by arnab, translation #1815762 by Spamster
- 私は英雄なんかではない。I am not a hero.Tatoeba #12486222 by small_snow, translation #12435663 by insularis
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are talking about a brave person in the news.
- 美咲 Misaki彼は本当のヒーローだと思います。Kare wa hontō no hīrō da to omoimasu.I think he is a real hero.
- 蓮 Renそうだね。とても勇敢な人だ。Sō da ne. Totemo yūkan na hito da.You're right. He is a very brave person.
- 美咲 Misaki私もそんなヒーローになりたいな。Watashi mo sonna hīrō ni naritai na.I want to become a hero like that too.
- 蓮 Ren美咲ならきっとなれるよ。Misaki nara kitto nareru yo.I'm sure you can, Misaki.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hero” translations and entries ヒーロー, 英雄, 勇者, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
