The kanji 男 generally means "man," "male," or "male person." It represents a human male, contrasting with the kanji for female (女). It can refer to an adult male, or more broadly, the masculine gender.

・On-yomi (音読み): ダン (dan)、ナン (nan) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): おとこ (otoko)

⚫︎ 男の人 (otoko no hito) Translation: man/male person ⚫︎ 男の子 (otoko no ko) Translation: boy ⚫︎ 男性 (dansei) Translation: male; man

The kanji 男 is a pictograph. It depicts a field, where the symbol at the bottom represents a field (田 - ta) and the symbol on top represents strength. It visually represents a male working in the field, thus embodying the concept of a man. The character's evolution shows it becoming more stylized over time.