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How to say 'Boy' in Japanese | 坊

Wondering how to say 'Boy' in Japanese? You're in the right place!

The Japanese word for Boy is 'Bou', written as 坊 in Japanese.'Boy' in hiragana is ぼう.

    word

    Meaning

    Boy

    Reading

    ぼう

    bou

    Kanji

    Boy, Sonny

    Explanation

    The Japanese noun '坊 (ぼう)' is a colloquial term that typically refers to a young boy or a son. It is often used affectionately or informally, and can sometimes carry a slightly playful or teasing tone. For example: my son is a good boy「うちの坊はいい子だ」(うちのぼうはいいこだ). That boy is very energetic「あの坊はとても元気だ」(あのぼうはとてもげんきだ). The term can also be used in compound words, such as '坊ちゃん (ぼっちゃん)', which means 'young master' or 'son of a wealthy family'. It's important to note that while '坊' can be used to refer to boys, it is not as formal as '少年 (しょうねん)' or '男の子 (おとこのこ)', and is more commonly used in casual conversation.

    Part Of Speech

    noun

    Kanji JLPT

    Unknown

    Kanji Grade

    7

    Frequency

    3326

    Composition

    kanji

    Handwriting

Kanji in the Word

This word contains 1 kanji character:

  • kanji

    Meaning

    Boy, Sonny

Words Related to Through the Kanji

These 5 Words contain the Kanji 坊 as well.

  • word

    寝坊

    Meaning

    Oversleeping

  • word

    お坊さん

    Meaning

    Monk

  • word

    赤ん坊

    Meaning

    Baby

  • word

    坊主

    Meaning

    Monk, Bald

  • word

    坊さん

    Meaning

    Monk

Learn the Word

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What does 'Bou' (坊) mean?

'Bou' means 'Boy' .

To help you master this word, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.