Word
恋人
Meaning in Englishlover, boyfriend, girlfriend
Animated kanji stroke order
Sentence
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Word context
What it means
What does 恋人 mean? It refers to a person with whom one is in a romantic relationship, typically a lover or romantic partner; the term covers both male and female partners in casual and semi-formal contexts.
Main meanings
- Primary meaning: a person in a romantic relationship who is cherished as a lover or partner.
- Gender neutrality: the word does not specify gender; it can refer to a boyfriend or girlfriend depending on context.
- Emotional nuance: often implies affectionate or romantic involvement rather than casual dating.
- Usage in media: commonly appears in storytelling, songs, and conversations about relationships.
How to use it
Used to denote a person one is romantically involved with; common in everyday speech and semi-formal writing. Typical constructions include 恋人が…, 恋人と…, 恋人になった, with particles marking subject, company, or status.
Variants and close terms
- 彼氏 (kareshi) — boyfriend
- 彼女 (kanojo) — girlfriend
- 恋人同士 (koibito dōshi) — a couple, lovers
- 愛人 (aijin) — mistress or lover (note the nuance and formal register)
Composition
- 恋: romantic love, longing; used in verbs and phrases about love.
- 人: person; marks a human being; together they designate the person someone loves.
Etymology
Etymology: From 恋 meaning romantic love and 人 meaning person; together they form a noun for the person one loves, without implying marriage or long-term status.
Word class
noun (名詞)
Word
Related words by kanji and components
N1
人目
hitome
glimpse, public gaze
N2
女の人
onnanohito
woman
N2
恋しい
koishii
dear, beloved; to miss
N2
失恋
shitsuren
broken heart, unrequited love
N2
主人
shujin
(one's own) husband
N2
職人
shokunin
artisan, craftsman
N2
素人
shirouto
layman, amateur, novice
N2
人事
jinji
human resources, personnel management
N2
人造
jinzou
man-made, synthetic, artificial
Kanji