ボーイ

• Reading: ボーイ
• Romaji: booi
• Pronunciation: /boː.i/

Meaning

Boy; porter. A young male attendant or hotel bellboy.

A loanword from English 'boy.' In Japanese, primarily used for a hotel bellboy or waiter rather than a generic word for a young male. Common compounds: ベルボーイ (beru-bōi, bellboy), カウボーイ (kaubōi, cowboy). In modern usage, ボーイフレンド (bōi-furendo, boyfriend) is also common.

Examples

1. ホテルのボーイが荷物を部屋まで運んでくれた。 The hotel bellboy carried our luggage to the room.
2. レストランでボーイを呼んで注文した。 I called the waiter at the restaurant and placed my order.
3. 彼は学生時代にボーイのアルバイトをしていた。 He worked as a bellboy part-time when he was a student.

Usage Guide

Context: hotels, restaurants, service industry

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Borrowed from English 'boy' during the Meiji period. In Japanese, the meaning narrowed to refer specifically to male service staff in hotels and restaurants.

Cultural Context

Era: Meiji

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal