彼
[ka̠]
The Japanese word for 'him' is 彼.
In natural spoken Japanese, people rarely use 彼 to refer to a specific person in a conversation, preferring instead to use the person's name or title. Depending on the context, 彼 can also mean 'boyfriend'.
Meaning: accusative / direct object (pron)
Which one should you use?
The term 彼 is ambiguous and can mean 'he', 'him' or 'boyfriend' depending on the context of your sentence.
How does it change in a sentence?
To indicate 'him' as the direct object of a verb, use 彼を. To indicate 'him' as the indirect object, such as when something is being done to or for him, use 彼に.
Did you know?
- The male-specific meaning of 彼 was actually influenced by the need to translate European texts into Japanese during the modernization of the language.
- Using 彼 to refer to a superior, such as a boss or teacher, can be seen as rude or overly casual.
- In some contexts, using 彼 can imply a sense of emotional detachment or a desire to create distance between the speaker and the man being discussed.
Examples in context
- 彼が大好き！I really like him!This sentence is useful for expressing strong liking for 彼.Tatoeba #119670 by bunbuku, translation #283992 by CE
- 彼に任せて。Let him handle it.This sentence shows 彼 being used with the particle に to indicate the person responsible for an action.Tatoeba #10042211 by small_snow, translation #4703026 by CN
- 彼に任せよう。Let's leave it up to him.This sentence also demonstrates the use of 彼 with the particle に.Tatoeba #118499 by bunbuku, translation #285164 by CK
- 1909 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a new colleague.
- 陽葵 Himari新しい同僚を知ってる？Atarashii dōryō o shitteru?Do you know the new colleague?
- 健太 Kentaうん、彼を昨日見たよ。Un, kare o kinō mita yo.Yeah, I saw him yesterday.
- 陽葵 Himariどんな人だった？Donna hito datta?What was he like?
- 健太 Kenta彼を信頼できると思うよ。Kare o shinrai dekiru to omou yo.I think we can trust him.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 彼, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 彼, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
