イケメン
いけめん
noun
good-looking guy, handsome man
1.
good-looking guy, handsome man
A man who is attractive in appearance. Combination of イケてる (cool/attractive) and メン (men/face).
彼はイケメンだよね。
He's a good-looking guy, isn't he?
イケメン俳優がドラマに出ている。
A handsome actor is in the drama.
この店はイケメンの店員が多い。
This shop has many good-looking staff members.
イケメン is slang for a good-looking or handsome man, widely used in modern Japanese.
ORIGIN:
Combination of イケてる (cool, attractive) + メン (men or 面 face). Emerged in the late 1990s and became mainstream in the 2000s.
USAGE:
- As a standalone noun: 彼はイケメンだ (He's handsome)
- As a modifier: イケメン俳優 (handsome actor)
FEMALE EQUIVALENTS:
- イケジョ: (less common) attractive woman
- 美人: beautiful woman (traditional term)
- 美女: beautiful woman
RELATED SLANG:
- フツメン: average-looking guy
- ブサメン: ugly guy (somewhat rude)
- 塩顔: 'salty face' (delicate features)
- 醤油顔: 'soy sauce face' (traditional Japanese look)
REGISTER:
Informal/casual. Fine among friends but too casual for formal situations.