(おとこ)らしい

おとこらしい
adjective (i)
manly; masculine; brave
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Present(おとこ)らしい(おとこ)らしくない
Past(おとこ)らしかった(おとこ)らしくなかった
て form(おとこ)らしくて(おとこ)らしくなくて
Adverbial(おとこ)らしく
Conditional ば(おとこ)らしければ(おとこ)らしくなければ
Conditional たら(おとこ)らしかったら(おとこ)らしくなかったら
1. manly; masculine; brave; decisive
Having qualities traditionally associated with an ideal man — courage, decisiveness, strength of character, and reliability. Can describe both men and women when they display such qualities.
(おとこ)らしい決断(けつだん)だ。
That's a decisive, manly decision.
(かれ)()()性格(せいかく)(おとこ)らしい。
He's masculine in both appearance and personality.
くよくよしないで、もっと(おとこ)らしくしなさい。
Stop moping and act more like a man.

USAGE:
(おとこ)らしい is an い-adjective describing stereotypically masculine qualities such as courage, decisiveness, and emotional strength. It is generally used as praise. The adverbial form is (おとこ)らしく.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • (おとこ)らしい(ひと) (a manly person)
  • (おとこ)らしい態度(たいど) (a manly attitude)
  • (おとこ)らしくない (unmanly)
  • (おとこ)らしさ (manliness — noun form)

SIMILAR WORDS:
(おんな)らしい (womanly, feminine) is the female counterpart. Note that in modern Japanese, some speakers consider these terms old-fashioned or reflecting gender stereotypes. 男性的(だんせいてき) (masculine) is a more neutral, descriptive alternative.