Meaning
The kanji 男 means man or male. You'll see it everywhere — on restroom signs, in people's names, in newspapers, and woven into dozens of everyday compound words. Japanese first-graders learn it in their very first year, and for good reason: knowing 男 immediately unlocks a wide range of vocabulary.
男 is a compound ideograph (会意文字, かいいもじ, kaiimoji), meaning it fuses two simpler parts into a single idea. The top is 田 (でん/た, rice paddy or field) and the bottom is 力 (りょく/ちから, strength or power). Together they depict someone who brings physical strength to the fields — the traditional role of men in farming villages. Spot those two components, and the kanji becomes hard to forget.
Written in 7 strokes, it is taught in Grade 1 of Japanese elementary school. Its radical is 田 (rice paddy), shared with kanji like 町 (town) and 畑 (farm field). Sino-Vietnamese speakers will recognize the Hán-Việt reading NAM — the same root behind nam giới (males) and nam sinh (male student).
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
男 has two on'yomi: ダン (dan) and ナン (nan). Both stem from Chinese-derived pronunciation and appear mainly in compound words (熟語, じゅくご, jukugo) rather than when the kanji stands alone.
ダン (dan) is the more common of the two, found in formal and general-purpose compounds:
- 男性 (dansei) — male, man (formal or scientific contexts)
- 男子 (danshi) — boy, male (students, competitors)
- 男女 (danjo) — men and women, both sexes
- 男優 (dan'yū) — male actor
ナン (nan) shows up mainly in words about sons and birth order:
- 長男 (chōnan) — eldest son
- 次男 (jinan) — second son
- 三男 (sannan) — third son
- 美男 (binan) — handsome man
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
The main kun'yomi is おとこ (otoko) — the everyday, conversational word for man. Use it when the kanji stands alone or heads a native Japanese compound.
- 男 (otoko) — man, male (standalone)
- 男の子 (otoko no ko) — boy, young male
- 男らしい (otokorashii) — manly, masculine
- 男前 (otokamae) — a handsome or striking man
A shorter reading お (o) also appears in a handful of words, though it is less common at the N5 level.
Common Words & Compounds
Here are the compounds you're most likely to meet, grouped by theme:
People and identity:
- 男性 (dansei) — man, male (general or formal)
- 男子 (danshi) — boy, young male
- 男女 (danjo) — men and women
- 美男子 (binanshi) — handsome young man
Family roles:
- 長男 (chōnan) — eldest son
- 次男 (jinan) — second son
- 男の子 (otoko no ko) — boy, son
Characteristics and personality:
- 男らしい (otokorashii) — manly, masculine
- 男前 (otokamae) — handsome, striking man
- 男気 (otokogi) — manly spirit, chivalry
Entertainment and titles:
- 男優 (dan'yū) — male actor
- 男爵 (danshaku) — baron (aristocratic title)
Example Sentences
あの男は先生です。
Ano otoko wa sensei desu.
That man is a teacher.
男の子が公園で遊んでいます。
Otoko no ko ga kōen de asonde imasu.
The boy is playing in the park.
この学校には男子が多いです。
Kono gakkō ni wa danshi ga ōi desu.
There are many male students at this school.
男性と女性が一緒に働いています。
Dansei to josei ga issho ni hataraite imasu.
Men and women are working together.
かれは長男なので、責任があります。
Kare wa chōnan nanode, sekinin ga arimasu.
He is the eldest son, so he carries a lot of responsibility.
その男は背が高いですね。
Sono otoko wa se ga takai desu ne.
That man is tall, isn't he?
彼は男らしいと思います。
Kare wa otokorashii to omoimasu.
I think he is manly.
男女平等は大切なことです。
Danjo byōdō wa taisetsu na koto desu.
Gender equality is an important matter.
あの男優は日本でとても有名です。
Ano dan'yū wa Nihon de totemo yūmei desu.
That male actor is very famous in Japan.
Related Kanji
- 人 — Person (Kanji N5)
- 父 — Father (Kanji N5)
- 気 — Spirit, Energy, Air (Kanji N5)
- 百 — Hundred (Kanji N5)
- 空 — Sky, Empty, Air (Kanji N5)
- 上 — Above, Up (Kanji N5)
Memory Tip
Split 男 into its two halves: 田 on top (a rice paddy — picture a grid of flooded fields) and 力 below (a flexed arm, raw strength). The image: a man who brings muscle to the rice paddies. Picture that sun-weathered farmer, and the kanji sticks. For Vietnamese learners, the Hán-Việt reading NAM maps directly to nam, making 男 one of the simplest N5 kanji to lock in from day one.