Romantic Japanese terms for boyfriend and girlfriend
Romantic Japanese terms for boyfriend and girlfriend include:
- Boyfriend: 彼氏 (kareshi)
- Girlfriend: 彼女 (kanojo)
More affectionate, romantic terms and nicknames borrowed from English that are popular among couples include:
- ダーリン (daarin) - “darling,” gender-neutral, used by couples or spouses
- ハニー (hanii) - “honey,” gender-neutral but can feel a bit embarrassing to use publicly
Another sweet term is 恋人 (koibito), which means “lover” or a romantic partner and is gender-neutral as well.
For romantic expressions referring to a loved one, phrases like 大好き (daisuki) meaning “I really like you” or “I love you” in a softer sense, and 愛してる (aishiteru), a direct “I love you,” are commonly used.
More intimate terms like あなた (anata), meaning “you,” are often used by wives to husbands as a term of endearment, though the usage varies by generation.
In summary, Japanese for boyfriend and girlfriend are straightforward as 彼氏 (kareshi) and 彼女 (kanojo), but romantic terms often blend native and borrowed English terms for affectionate usage.