男（おとこ、otoko）
- man

The Japanese word 男, read おとこ (otoko) in hiragana, primarily means "man" or "male". It refers to an adult male human being. It can also be used more broadly to refer to masculinity or male characteristics. The kanji 男 itself is composed of the radical 田 (rice field) and 力 (power), which historically reflects the role of men in agricultural labor and physical strength.

⚫︎男の人 Translation: Man; male person. ⚫︎男の子 Translation: Boy. ⚫︎彼は男らしい Translation: He is masculine.

⚫︎男 is used to refer to adult males, much like "man" in English. ⚫︎It can be used in general conversation to describe someone's gender. ⚫︎The word can also be used in more abstract ways, such as describing masculine traits or behaviors. ⚫︎Be careful when addressing someone directly, as it can sometimes sound a bit blunt. Consider using a more polite form if necessary.

⚫︎The word is primarily written using the kanji 男. ⚫︎The hiragana おとこ is used for the reading. ⚫︎There is no katakana version of the base word, however, オトコ is used for katakana words related to the base word. ⚫︎The okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is not applicable here.

⚫︎男性 (dansei) - male; man (formal) ⚫︎男性の人 (dansei no hito) - male person (formal) ⚫︎紳士 (shinshi) - gentleman ⚫︎男 (otoko) - [man] (informal)

⚫︎女 (onna) - woman; female ⚫︎女性 (josei) - female; woman (formal) ⚫︎女の子 (onnanoko) - girl

彼はとてもハンサムな男だ。 ・Translation: He is a very handsome man. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 男 to describe a male person.

そのチームには男しかいなかった。 ・Translation: There were only men in that team. ・Explanation: Here, 男 is used to refer to the gender of the team members.

The kanji 男 is a combination of two parts. The upper component 田 (ta) originally depicted a rice field, and the lower component 力 (chikara, or power) depicts strength. Historically, this combination reflects the role of men in working in the fields and using physical strength for labor. The word has evolved over time, but the core association with masculinity and the male gender remains.