美少年（びしょうねん、bishounen）
- handsome boy

The Japanese word 美少年 (びしょうねん) refers to a "beautiful boy" or a "handsome young man". It describes a male individual, typically in their youth or adolescence, who possesses attractive features, often characterized by delicate beauty and youthful charm. The focus is on physical attractiveness, and it often implies a level of innocence or purity.

⚫︎彼はとても美少年だ。 Translation: He is a very beautiful boy. ⚫︎その映画には、数人の美少年が出演している。 Translation: Several beautiful boys appear in that movie. ⚫︎昔から、美少年は芸術作品の題材として人気があった。 Translation: Beautiful boys have been popular subjects for artwork since ancient times.

This word is used to describe a young male with attractive features. You can use it in various contexts, such as describing someone's physical appearance, discussing characters in fiction, or referring to individuals in historical or cultural contexts. It's important to note the cultural context; what is considered a 美少年 may vary.

美少年 is typically written using kanji and hiragana. ・Kanji: 美少年 ・Reading (hiragana): びしょうねん There are no other common ways to write this word, and the okurigana (suffix hiragana) is standard.

・イケメン (ikemen): Handsome man (generally used for all ages, but also applicable to young men) ・美男子 (びだんし): Handsome man (can be used for all ages, but conveys a bit more maturity than 美少年) ・美青年 (びせいねん): Beautiful youth (more general and less specific to "boy" than 美少年)

There is no direct antonym, as it depends on the context of the description. However, words that describe the opposite of beauty or youth could be considered antonyms in a general sense. ・不細工 (ぶさいく): Ugly, unattractive ・老けた (ふけた): Old-looking, aged

その小説の主人公は、とても美少年で、多くの女性に慕われていた。 ・Translation: The protagonist of that novel was a very beautiful boy and was admired by many women. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the protagonist's physical appearance and popularity.

彼は、美少年をテーマにした絵画に情熱を燃やしていた。 ・Translation: He was passionate about paintings that had beautiful boys as their theme. ・Explanation: This sentence illustrates a specific interest or focus on the subject.

The word 美少年 is a combination of two kanji: 美 (び), meaning "beauty," and 少年 (しょうねん), meaning "boy" or "youth." Therefore, its etymology directly reflects its meaning.