男の子
otoko no ko[o̞to̞ko̞no̞ko̞]
In Japanese, the phrase for little boy is 男の子 (otoko no ko). If unsure, use 男の子. Wiktionary also lists 男児 (danji).
Meaning: a diminutive male child (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 男の子 | otoko no ko | [o̞to̞ko̞no̞ko̞] (narrow) |
| 男児 | danji | [dã̠ɲ̟d͡ʑi] (narrow) |
男の子 means boy. While the English phrase 'little boy' often implies smallness, 男の子 simply means boy.
Which one should you use?
男の子 is the standard way to say boy in daily conversation. In contrast, 男児 is a formal or clinical term used in official documents or news to mean male child.
How do you pronounce it?
otoko no ko
Did you know?
- During the traditional festival of Children's Day, families display koinobori or carp streamers to wish for the strength and success of a 男の子.
- In certain contexts, calling a grown man a 男の子 is used as a teasing way to describe someone who is acting immature or 'man-child' like.
- Japanese has a specific word, 男前, which uses the same character for 'man' as 男の子 but means 'handsome' or 'gallant'.
Examples in context
- 私はそれを小さな男の子にあげた。I gave it to the little boy.This sentence shows how to use 男の子 when giving something to a boy.Tatoeba #159695 by bunbuku, translation #254828 by CK
- 小さな男の子が私に挨拶してくれた。The little boy said hello to me.This sentence illustrates using 男の子 when a boy greets someone.Tatoeba #11973383 by bunbuku, translation #267568 by Zifre
- 小さな男の子が走っているのを見ました。I saw a little boy running.This sentence demonstrates using 男の子 to describe a boy who is running.Tatoeba #1418144 by bunbuku, translation #254998 by CK
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Yota are looking at a photo of a relative.
- 美咲 Misakiこの男の子は誰ですか？Kono otokonoko wa dare desu ka?Who is this little boy?
- 陽太 Yota私のいとこです。Watashi no itoko desu.He is my cousin.
- 美咲 Misakiかわいい男の子ですね。Kawaii otokonoko desu ne.He is a cute little boy, isn't he?
- 陽太 Yotaありがとうございます。Arigatou gozaimasu.Thank you very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “little boy” translations and entries 男の子, 男児, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
