How to say "masculine" in Japanese

• 男らしいおとこらしいCommon
  i-adjectiveThe common, everyday word for a man who seems manly — in looks, manner, or character. Use this when you simply want to say someone is masculine in the general sense.
  その少年しょうねんは男おとこらしくして泣なくまいとがんばった。↗

  The boy tried to be a man and not cry.
• マスキュリン
  nounThe katakana loanword, less common than 男らしい and heard mainly in specialized fields such as fashion or gender studies; for everyday 'masculine' it is seldom the word you want.
• 精悍せいかん
  na-adjective, nounCovers 'masculine' only for a person's features or overall look — a sharp, tough, virile appearance; its focus is how someone looks, not character or behavior, and it is less common.

For the general sense of manly use 「男らしい」; 精悍 is a less common word for a sharp, tough, virile look; 「マスキュリン」 is a loanword mostly limited to specialized contexts.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 男らしいおとこらしいmanly
• マスキュリンmasculine
• 精悍せいかんvirile