1.
lover; mistress; extramarital partner
A person with whom one has a romantic or sexual relationship outside of marriage. In modern Japanese, this word almost exclusively refers to an illicit relationship, carrying a strong connotation of infidelity.
彼には愛人がいるらしい。
He apparently has a lover on the side.
社長の愛人関係がスキャンダルになった。
The company president's extramarital affair became a scandal.
愛人の存在が発覚して、夫婦関係が壊れてしまった。
The discovery of the extramarital partner destroyed the marriage.
Despite being composed of 愛 (love) + 人 (person), this word does not simply mean 'a person one loves.' In modern Japanese, 愛人 almost always implies an illicit relationship — a mistress, lover, or kept partner outside of marriage. Using this word to describe a legitimate romantic partner would be a serious misunderstanding.
CAUTION FOR LEARNERS:
In Chinese, the cognate (àirén) means 'spouse' or 'sweetheart' — a neutral or positive term. In Japanese, however, 愛人 is strongly associated with infidelity. This is a common source of confusion for Chinese-speaking learners.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 愛人関係: extramarital relationship
- 愛人がいる: to have a lover (on the side)
- 愛人を作る: to take a lover
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 恋人: boyfriend/girlfriend — a legitimate romantic partner
- 不倫相手: extramarital partner — more direct about the infidelity
- 浮気相手: affair partner — emphasizes the cheating aspect