男の人

• Reading: おとこのひと
• Romaji: otokonohito
• Kanji breakdown: 男 (dan/otoko) — male, man; 人 (jin/hito) — person
• Pronunciation: /o.to.ko.no.çi.to/

Meaning

Man; male person. A polite and neutral way to refer to an adult male.

A compound expression combining 男 (otoko, male) with の人 (no hito, person). More polite and softer than 男 alone, which can sound blunt. This is the standard way to refer to a man in polite conversation. The female counterpart is 女の人 (onna no hito). Common in descriptions and when pointing someone out.

Examples

1. あの男の人は誰ですか。 Who is that man over there?
2. 男の人が三人入ってきた。 Three men came in.
3. 背の高い男の人に道を聞いた。 I asked a tall man for directions.

Usage Guide

Context: daily conversation, descriptions, polite speech

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

A native Japanese compound: 男 (otoko) originally depicted a field (田) and strength (力), representing someone who works the fields. の人 (no hito) adds 'person' for a polite reference.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal