Japanese symbol for “boyfriend”
彼氏
かれし
Romaji: kareshi
boyfriend
In Japanese, boyfriend is 彼氏, read かれし (kareshi).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n boyfriend
- pn he; him
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “boyfriend”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 恋人 | こいびと koibito | lover; sweetheart; boyfriend |
| 男 | おとこ otoko | male lover; boyfriend; man |
| 彼 | かれ kare | boyfriend |
| ボーイフレンド | ボーイフレンド booifurendo | boyfriend; male friend |
| 彼ピッピ | かれピッピ karepippi | boyfriend; almost boyfriend |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 彼女 | かのじょ kanojo | she; her |
| 彼ら | かれら karera | they; them |
| 彼方 | かなた kanata | beyond; across; the other side |
| 彼岸 | ひがん higan | equinoctial week (when Buddhist services are held) |
| 氏名 | しめい shimei | (full) name; identity |
| 同氏 | どうし doushi | the said person; he; she |
| 両氏 | りょうし ryoushi | both persons |
| 氏族 | しぞく shizoku | clan; family |
See also: Chinese symbol for “boyfriend”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.