How do you say handsome in Japanese?
The direct word for “handsome” in Japanese is ハンサム (hansamu), borrowed from English. In everyday speech, younger people are more likely to say イケメン (ikemen) or かっこいい (kakkoii).
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ハンサム
hansamu
The direct word, understood by everyone. It can sound a little old-fashioned.
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イケメン
ikemen
A good-looking guy. The everyday modern word.
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かっこいい
kakkoii
Cool or good-looking. The most natural compliment to say to someone.
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男前
otokomae
Handsome and manly, with a traditional feel.
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美男子
bidanshi
A handsome man. Formal and literary.
Use it in a sentence
- He is very handsome.彼はとてもハンサムです。Kare wa totemo hansamu desu.
- You look cool!かっこいいですね！Kakkoii desu ne!
- My boyfriend is really good-looking.私の彼氏はすごくイケメンです。Watashi no kareshi wa sugoku ikemen desu.
- Hello, handsome! (playful)こんにちは、イケメンさん！Konnichiwa, ikemen-san!
Good to know
There is no set Japanese phrase for “hello, handsome”. こんにちは、イケメンさん (konnichiwa, ikemen-san) gets the idea across, and it sounds playful.
ハンサム takes な before a noun: ハンサムな人 (a handsome person). イケメン is a noun: 彼はイケメンだ (he is good-looking).
For a beautiful woman, the word is 美人 (bijin).