少年（しょうねん、shounen）
- young boy

The word 少年 (shounen) primarily means "boy" or "youth" in Japanese. ⚫︎ It refers to a male child or adolescent, typically ranging in age from late childhood through the teenage years. ⚫︎ The connotation often implies a stage of life characterized by innocence, energy, and the process of growing up. ⚫︎ It can also refer to a "young man" in certain contexts, particularly when highlighting qualities associated with youth.

⚫︎あの少年 Translation: That boy. ⚫︎少年時代 Translation: Boyhood; youth. ⚫︎少年の冒険 Translation: A boy's adventure.

⚫︎ Use 少年 when referring to a boy or young male. ⚫︎ It’s suitable for general conversation, writing, and storytelling. ⚫︎ It can be used in formal and informal settings, although other terms might be preferred in highly formal contexts. ⚫︎ Be mindful of the context and the age range you are referring to; 少年 typically doesn’t apply to very young children or fully grown men.

⚫︎ The word 少年 is written in kanji: 少年. ⚫︎ The reading is always しょうねん (shounen) in hiragana. ⚫︎ There are no common variations in the okurigana.

⚫︎ 男の子 (otoko no ko) - boy (more general and common) ⚫︎ 青年 (seinen) - young man; youth ⚫︎ 若者 (wakamonо) - young person (can be used for both genders, wider age range) ⚫︎ 男子 (danshi) - boy; male (more formal)

⚫︎ 少女 (shoujo) - girl ⚫︎ 女性 (josei) - woman ⚫︎ 大人 (otona) - adult ⚫︎ おじさん (ojisan) - middle-aged man

その少年は公園でサッカーをしていました。 ・Translation: That boy was playing soccer in the park. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 少年 to describe a male child engaging in a typical activity for his age.

彼の夢は、いつか有名な少年漫画家になることだった。 ・Translation: His dream was to become a famous manga artist for boys someday. ・Explanation: This example showcases the word's use in the context of a particular genre of manga aimed at young boys.

The word 少年 is a compound word formed from two kanji. The first character, 少 (shou), means "few" or "young," and the second character, 年 (nen), means "year" or "age." Together, they describe someone of a "young age" or "few years," thus signifying a boy or youth.