遊び人
asobinin[a̠so̞bʲiɲ̟ĩɴ]
The English phrase playboy can be translated into Japanese as 遊び人 (asobinin). If unsure, use 遊び人. Wiktionary also lists やりちん (yarichin).
Meaning: man who devotes himself to pleasure (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 遊び人 | asobinin | [a̠so̞bʲiɲ̟ĩɴ] (narrow) |
| やりちん | yarichin |
The term refers to a man who devotes himself to pleasure.
Which one should you use?
遊び人 describes a man who enjoys leisure and pleasure. In contrast, the slang term やりちん is much more vulgar and specifically implies a man who is sexually promiscuous, acting as a womanizer or a slutty man.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
asobinin
Did you know?
- The slang term やりちん is a portmanteau combining the verb やる for 'to do' and the word ちんちん, a childish term for the male anatomy.
- While 遊び人 usually means a playboy, in certain historical contexts it referred to people who lived outside the rigid social classes of the Edo period, such as wandering artists.
- Using 遊び人 to describe yourself can be a form of 'humble bragging', suggesting you have so much free time and money that you can afford to waste it.
Examples in context
- 遊び人と言われても悪い気はしない。Even being called a playboy, I don't feel bad.This sentence shows how one might react to being called a 遊び人.Tatoeba #10933318 by small_snow, translation #11866132 by espamatics
- 彼は軽薄男と噂されているが、本当かはわからない。He is rumored to be a playboy, but it's unclear if it's true.
- 彼は昔から遊び人だ。Kare wa mukashi kara asobijin da.He has been a playboy since long ago.
- 遊び人と付き合うのは大変だ。Asobijin to tsukiau no wa taihen da.Dating a playboy is difficult.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a person's reputation at a bar.
- 結衣 Yui大翔、あの人は遊び人じゃない？Hiroto, ano hito wa asobijin janai?Hiroto, isn't that man a playboy?
- 大翔 Hirotoまあ、少し遊び人っぽいけど。Maa, sukoshi asobijin ppoi kedo.Well, he seems a bit like a playboy.
- 結衣 Yui女性に優しすぎると思う。Josei ni yasashisugiru to omou.I think he is too kind to women.
- 大翔 Hiroto彼はそういう性格なんだよ。Kare wa sou iu seikaku nanda yo.That's just his personality.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “playboy” translations and entries 遊び人, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
