イケメン

• 読み: イケメン
• ローマ字: ikemen
• 漢字の分解: From イケてる (iketeru, cool/good-looking) + メン (men, from English 'men' or 面 men, face)
• 発音: /i.ke.meɴ/

意味

A good-looking guy or handsome man — one of the most common compliments for male attractiveness.

イケメン is the standard casual term for a handsome man in modern Japanese. It has expanded beyond just physical looks to sometimes include personality and behaviour — a man who acts cool or kind can also be called イケメン (as in イケメン行動, handsome behaviour). While primarily about appearance, its broadened usage reflects how attractiveness in Japanese culture encompasses behaviour as well as looks.

例文

1. 隣のクラスにイケメン転校生が来たらしいよ。
2. あのカフェの店員さんイケメンすぎて通っちゃう。
3. イケメンなだけじゃなくて性格もいいから最高。

使い方ガイド

場面: friends, social media, dating, entertainment

トーン: admiring, approving, sometimes envious

正しい言い方

• あの俳優イケメンだよね (That actor is so handsome, right?)
• イケメンに道聞かれてドキドキした (A handsome guy asked me for directions and my heart raced)

避ける言い方

• 目上の男性に「イケメンですね」は距離感として微妙 (Calling a male superior 'ikemen desu ne' can feel inappropriately familiar)

よくある間違い

• Thinking イケメン only means physically attractive — it can also describe cool behaviour or kind actions
• Using イケメン for women — use イケジョ or 美人 instead

起源と歴史

From イケてる (iketeru, looking cool) + メン (men, from English 'men' or 面 men, face). Emerged in the early 2000s and quickly became the standard term for 'handsome guy' in casual Japanese.

文化的背景

時代: Early 2000s coinage, now universal vocabulary

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal

地域メモ: Used across all of Japan. One of the most successful slang coinages of the 2000s, now appearing in dictionaries and mainstream media. Related terms: イケジョ (cool woman), イケおじ (attractive older man), イケボ (attractive voice).