How Do You Refer to Relations between “Men” and “Women”?

Japanese TPO | 「男」と「女」の関係をどう説明しますか?

How Do You Refer to Relations between “Men” and “Women”?

In media reports men are generally referred to as “dansei,” and women as “josei.” However, when reporting about criminal suspects, rather than dansei, “otoko” is used, and rather than josei, “onna.” In normal conversation, many people use “otoko no hito” and “onna no hito.” In the entrances of toilets you will find “male” and “female” symbols, or “otoko” and “onna” kanji. To refer to both men and women, you should say “danjo.” A female partner (girlfriend) is called “kanojo,” and a male partner (boyfriend), “kareshi.” Ex-partners are called “moto kare” (ex-boyfriend) or “moto kano” (ex-girlfriend). “Kare” (boyfriend) comes from the word for the male third person “kare” (he), and “kano” (girlfriend) from the female “kanojo.” It used to be common to use “koibito” to refer to a person in an intimate relationship. The kanji “koi” of koibito, means “fall in love,” and “bito” (hito) means person. “Aijin” is often misinterpreted as “koibito” by non-Japanese. The kanji “ai” of “aijin” means “love.” Non-Japanese are apt to misinterpret aijin as meaning sweetheart, but it actually refers to the lover of a person having an affair. There is also the word “renai,” which combines the kanji “koi” and “ai.” This means “being in love,” but has a similar nuance to “romance.”

メディアめでぃあ報道ほうどう
Medhia no houdou
media reports
では
dewa/ha
in
一般的いっぱんてき
ippantekini
generally
メンめん
men wa/ha
men
男性だんせい」、
“dansei,”
(as) dansei
ウィメンうぃめん
wimen wa/ha
(and) women
女性じょせい
“josei”
(as) josei
います。
to iimasu.
are referred to
しかし
Shikashi
however
事件じけん
jiken no
criminal
容疑者ようぎしゃ
yougisha o/wo
suspects
報道ほうどうする
houdou suru
reporting (about)
ときには、
toki niwa/ha,
when
男性だんせい
dansei
dansei
ではなく
dewa/ha naku
rather than
おとこ」、
“otoko,”
otoko
女性じょせい
josei
(and) josei
ではなく
dewa/ha naku
rather than
おんな」が
“onnna” ga
onna
使つかわれます。
tsukawaremasu.
is used
通常つうじょう
Tsuujou no
normal
会話かいわ
kaiwa
conversation
では、
dewa/ha,
in
おとこひと」、
“otoko no hito,”
otoko no hito
おんなひと」を
“onnna no hito” o/wo
(and) onna no hito
使つか
tsukau
use
ひと
hito ga
people
おおいです。
ooi desu.
many
トイレといれ
Toire
toilets
no
of
入口いりぐち
iriguchi
(the) entrances
には
niwa/ha
in
おとこ
“otoko”
male
おんな」の
“onnna” no
(and) female
マークまーく
ma-ku,
symbols
あるいは
aruiwa/ha
or
おとこ」、
“otoko,”
otoko
おんな」の
“onnna” no
(and) onnna
漢字かんじ
kanji ga
kanji
あります。
arimasu.
(you) will find
男性だんせい
Dansei
men
to
and
女性じょせい
josei o/wo
women
一緒いっしょ
isshoni
both
表現ひょうげんするときには
hyougen suru toki niwa/ha
to refer to
男女だんじょ」と
“danjo” to
danjo
います。
iimasu.
(you) should say
女性じょせい
Josei no
(a) female
恋人こいびと
koibito
partner
ガールがーるフレンドふれんど)は
(ga-rufurendo) wa/ha
girlfriend
彼女かのじょ」、
“kanojo,”
kanojo
男性だんせい
dansei no
(and a) male
恋人こいびと
koibito
partner
ボーイぼーいフレンドふれんど)は
(bo-ifurendo) wa/ha
boyfriend
彼氏かれし」と
“kareshi” to
kareshi
ばれています。
yobarete imasu.
is called
わかれた恋人こいびと
Wakareta koibito wa/ha
ex-partners
元カレもとかれ
“moto’kare”
moto kare
元ボーイもとぼーいフレンドふれんど
(moto bo-ifurendo)
ex-boyfriend
元カノもとかの
“moto’kano”
(or) moto kano
元ガールもとがーるフレンドふれんど)と
(moto ga-rufurendo) to
ex-girlfriend
います。
iimasu.
are called
カレかれ
“Kare”
kare
ボーイぼーいフレンドふれんど)は
(bo-ifurendo) wa/ha
boyfriend
三人称さんにんしょう
sannninshou no
(the word for the) third person
男性だんせい
dansei
male
かれ」(he)、
“kare” (he),
kare he
カノかの
“kano”
(and) kano
ガールがーるフレンドふれんど)は
(ga-rufurendo) wa/ha
girlfriend
女性じょせい
josei
female
彼女かのじょ」(she)
“kanojo” (she)
(the) kanojo she
由来ゆらいします。
ni yurai shimasu.
comes from
親密しんみつ
Shinmitsuna
intimate
関係かんけい
kankei
a(n) relationship
にある
ni aru
in
ひと
hito
(a) person
には、
niwa/ha,
to refer to
かつては
katsutewa/ha
[once]
恋人こいびと」が
“koibito” ga
koibito
ひろ
hiroku
to be common
使つかわれていました。
tsukawarete imashita.
(it) used to use
恋人こいびと
Koibito
koibito
no
of
こい」の
“koi” no
koi
漢字かんじ
kanji no
(the) kanji
意味いみ
imi wa/ha
means
フォールふぉーるインいんラブらぶ
fo-ru in rabu,
fall in love
びと」は
“bito” wa/ha
(and) bito
パーソンぱーそん
pa-son
person
という意味いみです。
to iu imi desu.
means
外国人がいこくじん
Gaikokujin
non-Japanese
ga
by
よく
yoku
often
恋人こいびと
“koibito”
koibito
to
as
勘違かんちがいするのが
kanchigai suru no ga
misinterpreted
愛人あいじん
“aijin”
aijin
です。
desu.
is
愛人あいじん
Aijin
aijin
no
of
漢字かんじ
kanji
(the) kanji
あい」は
“ai” wa/ha
ai
love
love
love
という意味いみです。
to iu imi desu.
means
外国人がいこくじん
Gaikokujin wa/ha
non-Japanese
愛人あいじんを、
aijin o/wo,
aijin
スイートすいーとハートはーと
sui-to ha-to no
sweetheart
意味いみ
imi
meaning
to
as
とらえがちです
toraegachi desu
are apt to misinterpret
が、
ga,
but
じつ
jitsu wa/ha
actually
不倫ふりん相手あいて
furin’aite o/wo
(the) lover of (a) person having (an) affair
意味いみします。
imi shimasu.
(it) refers to
漢字かんじ
Kanji
(the) kanji
こい
“koi”
koi
to
and
あい」を
“ai” o/wo
ai
わせた
kumiawaseta
(which) combines
恋愛れんあい
“rennai”
renai
という言葉ことば
to iu kotoba
(the) word
mo
also
あります。
arimasu.
there is
これは
Kore wa/ha
this
ビーイングびーいんぐインいんラブらぶ
bi-ingu in rabu no
being in love
意味いみです
imi desu
means
が、
ga,
but
ロマンスろまんす
romansu
romance
ni
to
ちかい
chikai
similar
ニュアンスにゅあんす
nyuansu ga
(a) nuance
あります。
arimasu.
has

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