男

See also: 勇

男	U+7537, 男 CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-7537

← 甶
[U+7536]

CJK Unified Ideographs

甸 →
[U+7538]

TranslingualEdit

Stroke order

Stroke order (Japan)

Han characterEdit

男 (Kangxi radical 102, 田+2, 7 strokes, cangjie input 田大尸 (WKS), four-corner 6042₇, composition ⿱田力)

Derived charactersEdit

侽, 𠲸, 娚, 㭷, 甥, 㽒, 𤳆, 嫐, 嬲, 勇, 莮, 舅, 虜, 𡇨

ReferencesEdit

KangXi: page 759, character 2
Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 21730
Dae Jaweon: page 1169, character 2
Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 4, page 2529, character 5
Unihan data for U+7537

ChineseEdit

simp. and trad.		男
alternative forms		㽖侽

Glyph originEdit

Historical forms of the character 男
Shang	Western Zhou	Spring and Autumn	Warring States	Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han)	Liushutong (compiled in Ming)
Oracle bone script	Bronze inscriptions	Bronze inscriptions	Chu slip and silk script	Small seal script	Transcribed ancient scripts

Ideogrammic compound (會意): 田 (“field”) + 力 (“strength”) – man providing the strength for agricultural and/or other kinds of (physical) labour on a field.

EtymologyEdit

Probably an area word. Compare Proto-Kiranti *nam (“man”), Proto-Monic *k()ɲoom (“young child”), Proto-Wa *h/ʔn[o]m (“young man”), Thai หนุ่ม (nùm, “young man; young”) (Schuessler, 2007).

PronunciationEdit

Mandarin
(Standard)
(Pinyin): nán (nan²)

(Zhuyin): ㄋㄢˊ

(Chengdu, SP): nan²

(Dungan, Cyrillic and Wiktionary): нан (nan, I)
Cantonese
(Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): naam⁴

(Taishan, Wiktionary): nam³
Gan (Wiktionary): lan⁴
Hakka
(Sixian, PFS): nàm

(Meixian, Guangdong): nam²
Jin (Wiktionary): nan¹
Min Bei (KCR): nâng
Min Dong (BUC): nàng
Min Nan
(Hokkien, POJ): lâm

(Teochew, Peng'im): lam⁵ / nam⁵
Wu (Wiktionary): ³noe
Xiang (Wiktionary): lan²

Mandarin
- (Standard Chinese)⁺
  - Hanyu Pinyin: nán
  - Zhuyin: ㄋㄢˊ
  - Tongyong Pinyin: nán
  - Wade–Giles: nan²
  - Yale: nán
  - Gwoyeu Romatzyh: nan
  - Palladius: нань (nanʹ)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /nän³⁵/
- (Chengdu)
  - Sichuanese Pinyin: nan²
  - Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: lan
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /nan²¹/
- (Dungan)
  - Cyrillic and Wiktionary: нан (nan, I)
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /næ̃²⁴/
  (Note: Dungan pronunciation is currently experimental and may be inaccurate.)
Cantonese
- (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
  - Jyutping: naam⁴
  - Yale: nàahm
  - Cantonese Pinyin: naam⁴
  - Guangdong Romanization: nam⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /naːm²¹/
- (Taishanese, Taicheng)
  - Wiktionary: nam³
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /ⁿdam²²/
Gan
- (Nanchang)
  - Wiktionary: lan⁴
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lan³⁵/
Hakka
- (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
  - Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: nàm
  - Hakka Romanization System: namˇ
  - Hagfa Pinyim: nam²
  - Sinological IPA: /nam¹¹/
- (Meixian)
  - Guangdong: nam²
  - Sinological IPA: /nam¹¹/
Jin
- (Taiyuan)⁺
  - Wiktionary: nan¹
  - Sinological IPA (old-style): /næ̃¹¹/
Min Bei
- (Jian'ou)
  - Kienning Colloquial Romanized: nâng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /naŋ³³/
Min Dong
- (Fuzhou)
  - Bàng-uâ-cê: nàng
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /nˡaŋ⁵³/
Min Nan
- (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, General Taiwanese)
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī: lâm
  - Tâi-lô: lâm
  - Phofsit Daibuun: laam
  - IPA (Kaohsiung): /lam²³/
  - IPA (Zhangzhou): /lam¹³/
  - IPA (Xiamen, Quanzhou, Jinjiang, Taipei): /lam²⁴/
- (Teochew)
  - Peng'im: lam⁵ / nam⁵
  - Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: lâm / nâm
  - Sinological IPA ^(key): /lam⁵⁵/, /nam⁵⁵/

Note:

lam5 - Chaozhou;
nam5 - Shantou.

Wu

(Shanghainese)
- Wiktionary: ³noe
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /nø²³/

Xiang

(Changsha)
- Wiktionary: lan²
- Sinological IPA ^(key): /l̃an¹³/

Middle Chinese: /nʌm/

Rime
Character	男
Reading #	1/1
Initial (聲)	泥 (8)
Final (韻)	覃 (159)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open
Division (等)	I
Fanqie	那含切
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/nʌm/
Pan Wuyun	/nəm/
Shao Rongfen	/nɒm/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/nəm/
Li Rong	/nᴀm/
Wang Li	/nɒm/
Bernard Karlgren	/năm/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	nán
Expected Cantonese Reflex	naam⁴

Old Chinese
(Baxter–Sagart): /*nˤ[ə]m/

(Zhengzhang): /*nuːm/

Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014)
Character	男
Reading #	1/1
Modern Beijing (Pinyin)	nán
Middle Chinese	‹ nom ›
Old Chinese	/*nˁ[ə]m/
English	man, male
Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "()" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "[]" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. [t] as coda may in fact be -t or -p; Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary.

Zhengzhang system (2003)
Character	男
Reading #	1/1
No.	9354
Phonetic component	男
Rime group	侵
Rime subdivision	2
Corresponding MC rime	南
Old Chinese	/*nuːm/

DefinitionsEdit

男

man; (only of human in Standard Chinese) male
男人 ― nánrén ― man

男孩 ― nánhái ― boy

Coordinate term: 女 (nǚ)
son
長男／长男 ― zhǎngnán ― eldest son
baron, lowest of the five ranks of Chinese aristocracy (五等爵位) under the Zhou dynasty
- 冬十有二月，會齊侯、宋公、陳侯、衛侯、鄭伯、許男、滑伯、滕子同盟於幽。邾子克卒。 [MSC, trad.]
  冬十有二月，会齐侯、宋公、陈侯、卫侯、郑伯、许男、滑伯、滕子同盟于幽。邾子克卒。 [MSC, simp.]
  From: Spring and Autumn Annals, circa 5th century BCE
  Dōng shíyǒu'èr yuè, huì Qíhóu, Sònggōng, Chénhóu, Wèihóu, Zhèngbó, Xǔnán, Huábó, Téngzǐ tóngméng yú Yōu. Zhūzǐ Kè zú. [Pinyin]
  Winter, 12th month: we met the Marquis of Qi, the Duke of Song, Marquis of Chen, Marquis of Wey, Count of Zheng, Baron of Xu, Count of Hua, Viscount of Teng; we swore an alliance-covenant at You. Viscount Ke of Zhu died.
a surname

SynonymsEdit

公 (gōng, “male (of animals)”)

CompoundsEdit

Derived terms from 男

一男半女 (yīnánbànnǚ)
一索得男 (yīsuǒdénán)
一索成男
丁男 (dīngnán)
三男四女
中男
善男信女 (shànnán xìnnǚ)
大男
大男大女
大男小女
夫男
奇男子
女嫁男婚
女扮男身
女男
孝男 (xiàonán)
宜男
寸男尺女
小男女
役男 (yìnán)
息男 (xīnán)
拖男挈女
新好男人
生男育女
男丁 (nándīng)
男上位 (nánshàngwèi, “missionary position”)
男不男，女不女
男中音 (nánzhōngyīn, “baritone”)
男主角
男人 (nánrén, “man”)
男人婆 (nánrénpó)
男伴 (nánbàn)
男低音 (“bass”)
男士 (nánshì, “man”)
男女 (nánnǚ, “man and woman”)
男女大事
男女平等
男女老幼 (nánnǚlǎoyòu)
男妾 (nánqiè)
男娼 (nánchāng, “male prostitute”)
男婚女嫁
男婚女聘
男媒女妁

男子 (nánzǐ)
男孩 (nánhái, “boy”)
男孩子 (nánháizi, “boy”)
男室女家
男家 (nánjiā)
男尊女卑 (nánzūnnǚbēi)
男工 (nángōng)
男左女右 (nánzuǒnǚyòu)
男性 (nánxìng, “male”)
男方 (nánfāng)
男星
男朋友 (nánpéngyou, “boyfriend”)
男校 (nánxiào)
男根 (nángēn, “male genital”)
男爵 (nánjué, “baron”)
男生 (nánshēng)
男男女女
男痴
男科 (nánkē)
男童 (nántóng)
男系
男美
男色 (nánsè)
男配角
男高音 (nángāoyīn, “tenor”)
痴男怨女 (chīnányuànnǚ)
童男
童男女
童男童女 (tóngnántóngnǚ)
美男子 (měinánzǐ)
美男破老
老少男女 (lǎoshàonánnǚ)
三男兩女／三男两女
不帶頭巾男子漢／不带头巾男子汉
不戴頭巾男子漢／不戴头巾男子汉
勇男蠢婦／勇男蠢妇
喬男女／乔男女
多福多壽多男／多福多寿多男
大男人主義／大男人主义 (dànánrénzhǔyì)
女扮男裝／女扮男装
女織男耕／女织男耕
好男不吃分家飯，好女不穿嫁時衣／好男不吃分家饭，好女不穿嫁时衣
姪男／侄男

婦男／妇男
家庭婦男／家庭妇男
拖男帶女／拖男带女
拖男挾女／拖男挟女
攜男抱女／携男抱女
攜男挈女／携男挈女
潑男女／泼男女
男僧寺對著女僧寺／男僧寺对著女僧寺
男儐相／男傧相 (nánbīnxiàng)
男優／男优 (nányōu)
男兒／男儿 (nán'ér, “man”)
男兒有淚不輕彈／男儿有泪不轻弹 (nán'ér yǒu lèi bù qīng tán)
男兒膝下有黃金／男儿膝下有黄金 (nán'ér xīxià yǒu huángjīn)
男唱女隨／男唱女随
男大當婚，女大當嫁／男大当婚，女大当嫁 (nán dà dāng hūn, nǚ dà dāng jià)
男女不親授／男女不亲授
男女平權／男女平权
男女授受不親／男女授受不亲 (nánnǚ shòushòubùqīn)
男女有別／男女有别 (nánnǚyǒubié)
男子氣／男子气 (nánzǐqì, “manly”)
男子漢／男子汉 (nánzǐhàn)
男子漢大丈夫／男子汉大丈夫
男廁／男厕 (náncè, “men's restroom”)
男性沙文主義／男性沙文主义
男扮女裝／男扮女装
男有分，女有歸／男有分，女有归
男權／男权 (nánquán)
男歡女愛／男欢女爱
男氣／男气
男盜女娼／男盗女娼 (nándàonǚchāng)
男耕女織／男耕女织 (nángēngnǚzhī)
男聲／男声 (nánshēng, “male voice”)
男裝／男装 (nánzhuāng)
男賓／男宾 (nánbīn)
男風／男风 (nánfēng)
紅男綠女／红男绿女
綠女紅男／绿女红男
義男兒／义男儿
貴男／贵男
重男輕女／重男轻女 (zhòngnánqīngnǚ)
長男／长男 (zhǎngnán)
飲食男女／饮食男女 (yǐnshínánnǚ)
魯男子／鲁男子

DescendantsEdit

Sino-Xenic (男):

→ Japanese: 男(なん) (nan); 男(だん) (dan)
→ Korean: 남(男) (nam)
→ Vietnamese: nam (男)

ReferencesEdit

“男”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎^[1], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014–

JapaneseEdit

KanjiEdit

男

(grade 1 “Kyōiku” kanji)

ReadingsEdit

Go-on: なん (nan, Jōyō)^{←なん (nan, historical)}^{←なむ (namu, ancient)}
Kan-on: だん (dan, Jōyō)^{←だん (dan, historical)}^{←だむ (damu, ancient)}
Kun: おとこ (otoko, 男, Jōyō)^{←をとこ (wotoko, historical)}; お (o, 男)^{←を (wo, historical)}; おのこ (onoko, 男)
Nanori: いさみ (isami); いさむ (isamu); おと (oto)^{←をと (woto, historical)}

CompoundsEdit

Compounds

男(だん)系(けい) (dankei, “male succession”)
男(だん)根(こん) (dankon, “penis”)
男(だん)子(し) (danshi, “boy”)
男(だん)児(じ) (danji, “infant boy”)
男(だん)娼(しょう) (danshō, “male prostitute”)
男(だん)爵(しゃく) (danshaku, “baron”)
男(だん)女(じょ) (danjo, “man and woman”)
男(だん)色(しょく) (danshoku, “homosexual”)
男(だん)性(せい) (dansei, “man”)
男(だん)声(せい) (dansei, “male voice”)
男(だん)装(そう) (dansō, “male costume”)
男(だん)尊(そん)女(じょ)卑(ひ) (dansonjohi, “male chauvinism”)
男(だん)優(ゆう) (dan'yū, “actor”)
男(なん)根(こん) (nankon)
男(なん)色(しょく) (nanshoku)
下(げ)男(なん) (genan)
次(じ)男(なん) (jinan), 二(じ)男(なん) (jinan)
善(ぜん)男(なん) (zennan)
- 善(ぜん)男(なん)善(ぜん)女(にょ) (zennan zennyo)
息(そく)男(なん) (sokunan, “son”, honorific)
嫡(ちゃく)男(なん) (chakunan)
長(ちょう)男(なん) (chōnan)
美(び)男(なん) (binan), 美(び)男(だん) (bidan)

Etymology 1Edit

Kanji in this term
男
おとこ Grade: 1
kun’yomi

Alternative spelling
漢 (manga slang)

⟨woto₂ko₁⟩ → */wotəkʷo/ → /wotoko/ → /otoko/

From Old Japanese.

Derived from おと (oto, “young?”, cognate with Old Japanese 復つ (wotu → otsu, “to become young again”)) +‎ 子 (ko, “child”).

Compare 少女 (otome, “young woman”).

PronunciationEdit

(Tokyo) おとこ [òtókóꜜ] (Odaka – [3])^[1]^[2]
IPA^(key): [o̞to̞ko̞]

NounEdit

男(おとこ) • (otoko) ^{←をとこ (wotoko)^?}

a male person
Antonym: 女 (onna)
(specifically) a man, an adult male
Antonym: 女 (onna)
男, 漢: (specifically) a manly man
a male lover
Synonyms: 愛人 (aijin), 情人 (jōjin, jōnin), 情夫 (jōfu)
a manservant
Synonym: 下男 (genan)
a husband
Synonym: 夫 (otto)
(obsolete) an unmarried young man
(colloquial) homosexuality
Synonyms: 男色 (danshoku), 若道 (nyakudō)

Derived termsEdit

Derived terms

男(おとこ)し (otokoshi)
男郎花(オトコエシ) (otokoeshi), 男郎花(おとこめし) (otokomeshi)
男(おとこ)親(おや) (otokooya, “male parent”)
男(おとこ)神(がみ) (otokogami, “masculine god”)
男(おとこ)側(がわ) (otokogawa, “man's side”)
男(おとこ)気(ぎ) (otokogi, “chivalrous spirit”)
男(おとこ)心(ごころ) (otoko-gokoro, “male mind”)
男(おとこ)言(こ)葉(とば) (otoko kotoba, “male language”)
男(おとこ)坂(ざか) (otokozaka, “steep slope”)
男(おとこ)手(で) (otokode, “male worker”)
男(おとこ)友達(ともだち) (otoko tomodachi, “boyfriend, male friend”)
男(おとこ)の子(こ) (otoko no ko, “boy”)
男(おとこ)の人(ひと) (otoko no hito, “adult man”)
男(おとこ)前(まえ) (otokomae)
男(おとこ)役(やく) (otokoyaku, “role of man”)
男(おとこ)山(やま) (otokoyama, “steep mountain”)
男(おとこ)鰥(やもめ) (otoko yamome)
男(おとこ)湯(ゆ) (otokoyu, “men's bath”)
男(おとこ)を上(あ)げる (otoko o ageru)
男(おとこ)を売(う)る (otoko o uru)
男(おとこ)を下(さ)げる (otoko o sageru)
男(おとこ)を知(し)る (otoko o shiru)
男(おとこ)を磨(みが)く (otoko o migaku)
色(いろ)男(おとこ) (irootoko)
作(さく)男(おとこ) (sakuotoko)
下(しも)男(おとこ) (shimootoko)
間(ま)男(おとこ) (maotoko)
むくつけ男(おとこ) (mukutsuke otoko)
雪(ゆき)男(おとこ) (yuki otoko)

IdiomsEdit

Idioms

男(おとこ)が廃(すた)る (otoko ga sutaru)
男(おとこ)が立(た)つ (otoko ga tatsu)
男(おとこ)になる (otoko ni naru)
男(おとこ)は気(き)で持(も)て (otoko wa ki de mote)
男(おとこ)は閾(しきい)を跨(また)げば七人(しちにん)の敵(てき)あり (otoko wa shikii o matageba shichinin no teki ari)
男(おとこ)は辞(じ)儀(ぎ)に余(あま)れ (otoko haji gi ni amare)
男(おとこ)は松(まつ)女(おな)子(ご)は藤(ふじ) (otoko wa matsu onago wa fuji)

ProverbsEdit

男(おとこ)の目(め)には糸(いと)を引(ひ)け女(おんな)の目(め)には鈴(すず)を張(は)れ (otoko no me ni wa ito o hike onna no me ni wa suzu o hare)
男(おとこ)は度胸(どきょう)女(おんな)は愛嬌(あいきょう) (otoko wa dokyō onna wa aikyō)
男(おとこ)は裸(はだか)百貫(ひゃっかん) (otoko wa hadaka-hyakkan)

Proper nounEdit

男(おとこ) • (Otoko) ^{←をとこ (wotoko)^?}

a surname

Etymology 2Edit

Kanji in this term
男
お Grade: 1
kun’yomi

/wo/ → /o/

From Old Japanese.

Alternative formsEdit

夫
(male): 雄, 牡

PronunciationEdit

Kun’yomi

(Tokyo) お [óꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])^[1]
IPA^(key): [o̞]

NounEdit

男(お) • (o) ^{←を (wo)^?}

a man
- 711–712, Kojiki (poem 5)
  ...那許曾波(なこそは)遠(を)迩伊麻世婆(にいませば)... [Man'yōgana]
  ...汝(な)こそはをにいませば... [Modern spelling]
  na koso wa o ni imaseba
  (please add an English translation of this example)
Antonym: 女 (me)
a husband
Synonym: 夫 (otto)

Antonym: 女 (me)
a male
Antonym: 女, 牝, 雌 (me)
something large, powerful, or otherwise masculine

Derived termsEdit

Derived terms

男男(おお)しい (ooshii), 男々(おお)しい (ooshii)
男(お)滝(だき) (odaki)
男(お)猫(ねこ) (oneko)
男(お)雛(びな) (obina)
桂(かつら)男(お) (katsurao)
須佐之男(すさのお) (Susanoo)
益荒(ますら)男(お) (masurao), 大夫(ますらお) (masurao), 丈夫(ますらお) (masurao)
寡(やも)男(お) (yamoo)

Etymology 3Edit

Kanji in this term
男
おのこ Grade: 1
irregular

Compound of 男 (o, “male”, see above) +‎ の (no, possessive particle) +‎ 子 (ko, “child”).

Alternative formsEdit

男の子

PronunciationEdit

(Irregular reading)

(Tokyo) おのこ [óꜜnòkò] (Atamadaka – [1])^[1]
IPA^(key): [o̞no̞ko̞]

NounEdit

男(おのこ) • (onoko) ^{←をのこ (wonoko)^?}

a boy

Derived termsEdit

Derived terms

Etymology 4Edit

Kanji in this term
男
なん Grade: 1
goon

/nam/ → /namʉ/ → /naɴ/

From Middle Chinese 男 (MC nʌm).

The goon reading, so likely initial borrowing.

PronunciationEdit

On’yomi: Goon

IPA^(key): [nã̠ɴ]

NounEdit

男(なん) • (nan)

a man
Synonym: 男性 (dansei)
a son
Synonyms: 倅 (segare), 息子 (musuko)

Derived termsEdit

一(いち)男(なん) (ichinan)

Etymology 5Edit

Kanji in this term
男
だん Grade: 1
kan’on

/dam/ → /damʉ/ → /daɴ/

From Middle Chinese 男 (MC nʌm).

The kan'on reading, so likely a later borrowing.

NounEdit

男(だん) • (dan)

a man
a son
a young man, especially one who reached adulthood
Synonyms: 壮丁 (sōtei), 若者 (wakamono)
(historical) a baron
Synonym: 男爵 (danshaku)

Proper nounEdit

男(だん) • (Dan)

a male given name

ReferencesEdit

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
^ 1998, NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 (NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: NHK, →ISBN