1.
boy, young man, male
A male person, especially a boy or young man. Used in formal contexts or compound words.
男子トイレはどこですか。
Where is the men's restroom?
男子生徒の数が増えた。
The number of male students increased.
男子サッカー日本代表。
Japan men's national soccer team.
Used in sports contexts
このクラスは男子が多い。
This class has many boys.
男子も女子も同じ制服を着ている学校がある。
There are schools where both boys and girls wear the same uniform.
男子 means "boy" or "male" and is used primarily in formal contexts, institutional settings, and compound words. It pairs with 女子 (female).
COMMON COMPOUNDS:
- 男子生徒: male student
- 男子トイレ: men's restroom
- 男子校: boys' school
- 男子サッカー: men's soccer
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 男: man, male (common, everyday)
- 男の子: boy (casual, for children)
- 男性: male, man (neutral, polite; used in surveys, forms, demographics)
USAGE:
男子 is typical in school settings (男子生徒), sports (男子マラソン), and signage (男子トイレ). In casual speech among young people, 男子 is also used to refer to boys or guys in a light, friendly way (e.g., 男子ってそういうもの, "that's how guys are").