恋人
koibito[ko̞ibʲito̞]
In Japanese, 'my lover' is said as 恋人 (koibito).
恋人 is used to refer to a romantic partner or a lover. While it translates directly to 'lover', it is a relatively formal or literary term and is less common in casual daily conversation than other terms for a partner.
How does it change in a sentence?
恋人 is a noun and does not change its form based on gender. It can refer to either a male or female lover.
How do you pronounce it?
koibito
Did you know?
- In traditional Japanese culture, the concept of 恋 ('koi') was sometimes viewed as a sickness or a form of madness that disrupted one's social duties.
- Japanese distinguishes between 恋 ('koi') and 愛 ('ai'). While 恋人 uses the former, koi is often viewed as a selfish, longing love, whereas ai is seen as a selfless, giving love.
- To avoid the intensity of 恋人, Japanese speakers often refer to their partner as あの人, which literally means 'that person'.
Examples in context
- 恋人は私を愛してくれない。My lover doesn't love me.This sentence uses 恋人 to describe a lack of love from a lover.Tatoeba #1115765 by marcelostockle, translation #759678 by Martha
- 恋人は外国語学校に勤めていて、その勤務がとても好きようだ。My lover works at a language school and loves it very much.This sentence uses 恋人 to describe a lover's occupation and interests.Tatoeba #773068 by marloncori, translation #924154 by Scott
- 田中さんは私の恋人です。Tanaka is my lover.
- この人は私の愛する人です。This person is the one I love.
- この人は彼女です。This person is my girlfriend.
- 私の恋人はとても優しいです。Watashi no koibito wa totemo yasashii desu.My lover is very kind.
Example conversation
Hiyori and Yota are talking about their weekend plans.
- 陽葵 Himari今週末はどこかに行くの？Konshūmatsu wa dokoka ni iku no?Are you going anywhere this weekend?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、恋人と温泉に行くよ。Un, koibito to onsen ni iku yo.Yeah, I'm going to a hot spring with my lover.
- 陽葵 Himariいいなあ。楽しんできてね。Ii naa. Tanoshinde kite ne.That's nice. Have a great time.
- 陽太 Yotaありがとう、陽葵ちゃん。Arigatō, Hiyori-chan.Thank you, Hiyori.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 恋人, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
