How to say "sex" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- noun, suru verb, intransitive verbThe everyday loanword for the act itself — sex or sexual intercourse — used plainly in ordinary conversation when there is no need to sound clinical or indirect.
- 性交せいこうnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbThe formal, clinical word for sexual intercourse; it suits medical, legal, and academic contexts and sounds stiff in casual talk.
- 性せいnounSex or gender as an attribute — whether a person or animal is male or female — not the act; it is the word of forms, records, and biological or demographic description.
- 仲良しなかよしnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbNormally means being on good terms or close friends; as a colloquial euphemism it can refer to sex or intimate relations, hinting indirectly rather than naming the act.
Use 「セックス」 for the act in everyday speech, 性交 in formal or clinical contexts, 性 only for sex as a male-or-female classification, and 「仲良し」 just as a colloquial euphemism.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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