草食系

• 読み: そうしょくけい
• ローマ字: sōshoku kei
• 漢字の分解: 草 (grass) + 食 (eat) + 系 (type/category) → grass-eating type, metaphor for passive/gentle in dating
• 発音: /soː.ɕo.ku ke.i/

意味

Herbivore type — a person (usually male) who is passive, gentle, and unassertive in romantic pursuits.

草食系 became a cultural buzzword in the late 2000s to describe young Japanese men who showed little initiative in romance and dating. They tend to be gentle, non-aggressive, and content with being single or letting relationships develop slowly. The term sparked widespread media discussion about changing gender dynamics in Japan and is often contrasted with 肉食系 (carnivore type).

例文

1. うちの彼氏、草食系だから自分からデートに誘わないんだよね。
2. 草食系男子が増えたって言われてるけど、本当かな。
3. 草食系だと思ってたら、意外と積極的でびっくりした。

使い方ガイド

場面: friends, media, dating discussion

トーン: descriptive, sometimes teasing

正しい言い方

• 草食系の人の方が安心して付き合える。 (I feel more at ease dating a herbivore type.)
• 彼は草食系だから、こっちからアプローチしないと。 (He's the passive type, so I need to make the first move.)

避ける言い方

• 面と向かって「草食系だよね」と言うと傷つく人もいる (Calling someone a herbivore type to their face can be hurtful as it implies they lack initiative)

よくある間違い

• Assuming 草食系 means asexual — it describes passivity in dating, not lack of sexual interest

起源と歴史

Coined by columnist Maki Fukasawa in 2006 and popularized through media in 2008-2009. Herbivore (草食) metaphorically describes passive, gentle people who don't 'hunt' for romantic partners.

文化的背景

時代: Coined 2006, peaked 2008-2010, still widely known

世代: All ages aware, primarily describes younger men

社会的背景: Cultural commentary term

地域メモ: Used across all of Japan. Part of a broader cultural discussion about modern masculinity in Japan.