男子

• Reading: だんし
• Romaji: danshi
• Kanji breakdown: 男 (dan/otoko) — male, man; 子 (shi/ko) — child, person
• Pronunciation: /da.n.ɕi/

Meaning

Young man; boy; male. A formal or categorical term for males.

A noun used in formal, institutional, or categorical contexts to refer to males. Common in school settings (男子生徒, danshi seito, male student), sports (男子マラソン, danshi marason, men's marathon), and facilities (男子トイレ, danshi toire, men's restroom). More formal than 男の子 (otoko no ko) for casual 'boy.'

Examples

1. 男子トイレはこの廊下の突き当たりにあります。 The men's restroom is at the end of this hallway.
2. 男子生徒の人数が今年は増えた。 The number of male students increased this year.
3. オリンピックの男子百メートルの決勝を見た。 I watched the men's 100-meter final at the Olympics.

Usage Guide

Context: school, sports, facilities

Tone: categorical

Origin & History

Composed of 男 (dan, male) and 子 (shi, child/person). A classical Sino-Japanese compound where 子 indicates a person of the described category, not specifically a child.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal