1.
boyfriend
A male romantic partner. Used in casual to neutral contexts.
彼氏ができた。
I got a boyfriend.
彼氏と映画を見に行った。
I went to see a movie with my boyfriend.
彼氏の誕生日にプレゼントを買った。
I bought a present for my boyfriend's birthday.
友達に彼氏を紹介したら、みんなに「いい人だね」と言われた。
When I introduced my boyfriend to my friends, everyone said "He seems like a great guy."
彼氏と付き合い始めたころは毎日メッセージを送り合っていたが、最近は週に一回ぐらいになった。
When we first started dating, we would message each other every day, but lately it's about once a week.
ETYMOLOGY: 彼 (he) + 氏 (honorific suffix). The 氏 suffix adds a slight formal/distancing nuance, but the word itself is casual.
CONTRAST:
- 彼氏 ↔ 彼女 (boyfriend ↔ girlfriend)
- Both are standard casual terms for romantic partners
FORMAL/OTHER EXPRESSIONS:
- 恋人 (lover, sweetheart - gender-neutral, slightly formal)
- パートナー (partner - modern, gender-neutral)
- お付き合いしている人 (person I'm dating - polite)
- 交際相手 (dating partner - formal)
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 彼氏ができる (to get a boyfriend)
- 彼氏と別れる (to break up with one's boyfriend)
- 彼氏と付き合う (to date one's boyfriend)
- 彼氏がいる (to have a boyfriend)
- 彼氏を紹介する (to introduce one's boyfriend)
USAGE NOTE:
彼氏 is the most common casual term for "boyfriend" in everyday conversation. The term 彼 alone can also mean "boyfriend" in context, often used when the relationship is already understood.