彼（かれ、kare）
- he

The Japanese word 彼 (pronounced kare) primarily means "he" or "him" in English. It's a third-person singular pronoun referring to a male person. ⚫︎ It is used to avoid constantly repeating a male person's name or referring to a male individual. ⚫︎ The meaning is context-dependent, and the listener needs to understand who "he" refers to in the given situation. ⚫︎ 彼 can also sometimes mean "boyfriend" or "lover," depending on the context.

⚫︎ 彼は学生です。 Translation: He is a student. ⚫︎ 彼に会いたい。 Translation: I want to see him. ⚫︎ 私の彼はとても親切です。 Translation: My boyfriend is very kind. (In this context, 彼 means "boyfriend")

⚫︎ Use 彼 when you want to refer to a male person who has already been introduced or is known in the context. ⚫︎ Be mindful of the context; if there's any ambiguity, it's better to use the person's name or another clarifying phrase. ⚫︎ Avoid using 彼 to refer to someone you just met, especially if you haven't established a comfortable level of familiarity. It may sound a bit formal or distant. ⚫︎ In formal settings, using the person's name or titles is often preferred.

⚫︎ The standard way to write 彼 is with the kanji 彼. ⚫︎ The pronunciation is kare (in hiragana: かれ). ⚫︎ There is only one way to write the kanji 彼. ⚫︎ 彼 does not typically have variations in okurigana.

⚫︎ あの人 (あのかた) - "That person" (used more politely and gender-neutral) ⚫︎ 彼氏 (かれし) - "Boyfriend" ⚫︎ 彼ら (かれら) - "They" (plural form of 彼, but can be used for a group of men) ⚫︎ In casual situations, a person’s name can also be used instead of 彼

⚫︎ 彼女 (かのじょ) - "She" or "her," the female equivalent.

彼はサッカーが好きです。 ・Translation: He likes soccer. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 彼 to refer to a male person who enjoys soccer.

私は彼と映画を見に行きました。 ・Translation: I went to see a movie with him. ・Explanation: In this case, 彼 is the object of the sentence and refers to the male individual you went to the movies with.

The kanji 彼 is a combination of the "human" radical (亻) and the character 皮. It originally meant "that person, he" but can also mean "that place; there."