愛 人(あいじん)

あいじん

noun

lover; mistress; extramarital partner

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(かれ)には愛人(あいじん)がいるらしい。

He apparently has a lover on the side.

社長(しゃちょう)の愛人(あいじん)関係(かんけい)がスキャンダルになった。

The company president's extramarital affair became a scandal.

愛人(あいじん)の存在(そんざい)が発覚(はっかく)して、夫婦(ふうふ)関係(かんけい)が壊(こわ)れてしまった。

The discovery of the extramarital partner destroyed the marriage.

Despite being composed of 愛(あい) (love) + 人(じん) (person), this word does not simply mean 'a person one loves.' In modern Japanese, 愛人(あいじん) 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(あいじん) is strongly associated with infidelity. This is a common source of confusion for Chinese-speaking learners.

Common collocations

愛人(あいじん)関係(かんけい): extramarital relationship
愛人(あいじん)がいる: to have a lover (on the side)
愛人(あいじん)を作(つく)る: to take a lover

Similar words

恋人(こいびと): boyfriend/girlfriend — a legitimate romantic partner
不倫(ふりん)相手(あいて): extramarital partner — more direct about the infidelity
浮気(うわき)相手(あいて): affair partner — emphasizes the cheating aspect

Related Words

Compare: 恋人(こいびと) (boyfriend/girlfriend)

general

Added 2026.4.7 2:29 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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