長男（ちょうなん、chounan）
- eldest son

The Japanese word 長男 (ちょうなん) means "eldest son" or "firstborn son." It refers to the first male child born into a family. This term holds significance in traditional Japanese family structures, where the eldest son often had specific responsibilities and privileges.

⚫︎彼は長男です。 Translation: He is the eldest son. ⚫︎あの家族の長男はとても優秀です。 Translation: The eldest son of that family is very capable. ⚫︎私の長男は今年大学に入学します。 Translation: My eldest son will enter university this year.

You use 長男 to specify the eldest son in a family. You can use it in conversations about family members, introductions, and discussions about social roles. It's generally used when you want to highlight the birth order of sons.

長男 is typically written in kanji as 長男. The reading is ちょうなん in hiragana. There are no other common ways to write this word. There are no variations in the okurigana.

There aren't direct synonyms in Japanese that carry the exact same meaning, but related words include: ⚫︎ 長子 (ちょうし) - eldest child (regardless of gender) ⚫︎ 一人息子 (ひとりむすこ) - only son

The direct antonym of 長男 is: ⚫︎ 次男 (じなん) - second son ⚫︎ 末っ子 (すえっこ) - youngest child (male or female)

田中さんの長男は医者です。 ・Translation: Mr. Tanaka's eldest son is a doctor. ・Explanation: This sentence introduces the occupation of Mr. Tanaka's eldest son, using 長男 to specify his position in the family.

その会社は長男に引き継がれました。 ・Translation: That company was passed down to the eldest son. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates how the business or inheritance was transferred to the firstborn son.

The word 長男 is formed from two kanji: 長 (ちょう), meaning "long" or "eldest," and 男 (なん/おとこ), meaning "man" or "son." Therefore, the literal meaning is "eldest son." This reflects the importance of birth order in traditional Japanese society.