イケメン
ikemen[ike̞mẽ̞ɴ]
The Tagalog word 'pogi' can be expressed in Japanese as イケメン (ikemen).
The term イケメン is a way to describe a handsome man. You can also use the loanword ハンサム to describe someone as handsome in both formal and informal situations. If you want to describe someone as cool or good-looking, you can use かっこいい or its variant 格好いい, which can be used formally, though it leans towards the casual side. For a more intense expression meaning super cool or really handsome, use めっちゃかっこいい.
How do you pronounce it?
ikemen
Did you know?
- The term イケメン is actually a 'hybrid' word, combining the Japanese verb 'iketeru' (to be cool) with the English word 'men'.
- The term かっこいい can be used to describe a handsome man, but it also describes a cool car, a sharp suit or even a brave action.
- The word イケメン is often used in Japanese media to categorize specific types of handsome men, such as the 'shojo' manga style of 'ikemen'.
Examples in context
- 彼は本当にイケメンですね。Kare wa hontou ni ikemen desu ne.He is a truly handsome man.
- あのイケメンは誰ですか？Ano ikemen wa dare desu ka?Who is that handsome guy?
- 彼はモデルみたいなイケメンだ。Kare wa moderu mitai na ikemen da.He is a handsome guy like a model.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a new student at school.
- 大翔 Hiroto転校生の子、見たことある？Tenkōsei no ko, mita koto aru?Have you seen the new transfer student?
- 陽葵 Himariうん、すごいイケメンだったよ！Un, sugoi ikemen datta yo!Yeah, he was really handsome!
- 大翔 Hiroto本当？気になるな。Hontō? Ki ni naru na.Really? Now I'm curious.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔もきっと驚くと思うよ。Hiroto mo kitto odoroku to omou yo.I think you'll be surprised too, Hiroto.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry イケメン, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries イケメン, CC BY-SA 4.0.
