男児|だんじdanji[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. nounboy; son
2. nounman

• Synonym男子だんしNeutralNeutral word for boys or males generally, as in 「男子生徒」 and 「男子トイレ」; 「男児」 leans toward young boys or men of manly spirit.
• Synonym男の子おとこのこNeutralThe everyday, most common word for a boy; 「男児」 is a written Sino-Japanese term, seen mostly in news reports and statistics.
• Synonym小僧こぞうCasualColloquial: a young kid or brat, also a young monk or shop apprentice, as in 「いたずら小僧」; 「男児」 stays neutral and objective.
• Synonym坊やぼうやCasualColloquial and affectionate, for a little boy; 「男児」 is objective and written.
• Synonym坊ちゃんぼっちゃんCasualColloquial: a respectful word for someone else's son, or a spoiled young master; 「男児」 is objective.
• Synonym少年しょうねんNeutralNeutral term for boys into their teens, as in 「少年野球」; 「男児」 leans toward younger male children.
• Synonym童子どうじWrittenWritten style: a child, or a boy attending on a person of rank; 「男児」 points to boys.
• Synonymお坊ちゃんおぼっちゃんCasualColloquial: an affectionate-honorific word for someone else's son, or a naive young master from a well-off family; 「男児」 is objective, for boys or manly men.
• Related息子むすこNeutralThe ordinary word for a son from the parents' side, as in 「息子が二人」; 「男児」 refers to boys themselves, not a family relation.
• Related子息しそくFormalFormal term for another person's son, as in 「ご子息」; 「男児」 refers to boys themselves.
• Related息子さんむすこさんNeutralPolite way to refer to someone else's son, common in daily conversation; 「男児」 is objective and written, denoting boys themselves.
• RelatedせがれCasualColloquial, humble word for one's own son, as in 「うちの倅」; 「男児」 is objective.
• Relatedご令息ごれいそくFormalFormal honorific for another person's son; 「男児」 is objective.
• Antonym女児じょじNeutralAntonym: a young girl; contrasts with 「男児」 in the sex of the child.

「男児」 is the written-style word for a young boy or a manly man, as in 「男児誕生」 and 「日本男児」. In everyday speech say 「男の子」 for a boy and 「男子」 for males generally. To refer politely to someone's son use 「息子さん」, or 「ご令息」 in formal language. The opposite is 「女児」.

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

1. 男の子おとこのこ。
2. 強壮きょうそうな男性だんせい。