男|おとこotoko[3]odaka (tail-high)

1. noun, noun (prefix)man; male
   彼かれは多分たぶんよい男おとこであるかも知しれない。↗

   He may be a good man for all I know.
2. nounfellow; guy; chap; bloke
   あんな男おとこ見みても胸むなくそが悪わるい。↗

   I can't bear the sight of him.
3. nounmale lover; boyfriend; man
4. nounmanliness; manly honor; manly honour; manly reputation

• Synonym男性だんせいNeutralNeutral and polite way to refer to males, as in 「男性用」 or 「男性の方」; 「男」 is more direct and can sound blunt or judgmental.
• Synonym男の人おとこのひとNeutralPolite colloquial way to speak of an adult man, as in 「あの男の人」; softer than 「男」.
• Synonym男子だんしNeutralRefers to boys or schoolboys; also used in 「男子トイレ」 and 「男子校」, carrying a young or categorical feel.
• SynonymガイCasualColloquial loanword for a guy or fellow, seen mostly in compounds like 「タフガイ」 and 「ナイスガイ」, though it can also stand alone.
• Antonym女おんなNeutralThe direct counterpart of 「男」, referring to women or females.
• Antonym雌めWrittenRead 「め」, mostly a prefix for the female sex or the smaller, weaker of a pair, as in 「雌花」; usually paired with 「雄」, contrasting with 「男」 only in sex.

For a man in everyday speech, use 「男」 or 「男の人」; in formal or polite contexts choose 「男性」. For boys or schoolboys use 「男子」, and 「ガイ」 appears mostly in compounds.

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

1. おとこ、ヒトの雄おす
2. （おとこ）堂々どうどうとし、困難こんなん等とうを恐おそれない態度たいど又または潔いさぎよい様子ようす。漢おとこ。