1.
boy, young man, male
A male person, especially a boy or young man. Used in formal contexts or compound words.
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:
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").