Image:Boy from the Taylor Family.jpeg|thumb|Painting of a boy.
English
rank|five|need|met|395|boy|c.|strong|dead
Etymology
wikipedia|dab=boy (disambiguation)|boy
Probably ME., with cognates in Frisian (boi) and Dutch. There is also speculation that the word would originally stem from baby talk. 1.
Pronunciation
IPA|/bÉɪ/, SAMPA|/bOI/
audio|en-us-boy.ogg|Audio (US)
Rhymes: Rhymes:English:-Éɪ|-Éɪ
Noun
en-noun
- A young male, usually a child or adolescent.
#: the boys were playing kickball in the mud.
- US racist|offensive|archaic|pejorative A male African-American of any age.
- A male servant, regardless of age, especially in a colonial context and in numerous compounds. (Compare French garçon; also adopted as such in various others languages, such as Dutch)
#: When the dipenda (independence movement) in Belgian Congo turned violent, the white colonisators' often materially privileged black domestic boys were mistrusted and often abused as collaborators
- context|colloquial|always used in plural Male (usually adult) friends.
#: Iâm going out for a few drinks with the boys.
- A man of any age, used as a friendly diminutive, or of a man who is merely younger than the speaker.
#: Whatever else you say about him, the boy can play.
#: 1977: I like the boy. — Australian entertainer w:Bert Newton|Bert Newton, to w:Mohammed Ali|Mohammed Ali at the 1977 Logie Awards, famously unaware of how insulting this is under the US usage above 2
- An adult male, particularly when used by straight women or gay men to refer to someone considered attractive.
- figurative|endearing A proud parent's son (of any age.)
#: That's my boy.
- figurative|endearing A caring owner's pet or working animal (of any age.)
#: Here, boys, heel; yes, Bobby, show the puppies how, good boy!
Translations
trans-top|a young male person
Afrikaans: seun; jongman
Aleut: hlax
Arabic: Arab|ÙÙØ¯|ÙÙÙÙØ¯Ù (wálad) m
Belarusian: Ñ
Ð»Ð¾Ð¿ÐµÑ m, Ñ
лопÑÑк m
Bulgarian: момÑе (momÄe) n
Catalan: noi m, al·lot m, xiquet m, xic m, xicot m
Chinese traditional/simplified: ç·å©, ç·å© (nán hái), å°å¹´, å°å¹´ (shà o nián)
Chuvash: аÑа
Croatian: djeÄak m
Czech: chlapec m, hoch m, kluk m
Danish: dreng c
Dutch: jongen m, knaap m
Estonian: poiss
Esperanto: knabo
Finnish: poika m
Frisian: jonge m
French: garçon m
German: Junge m, Knabe m
Greek: Ïαιδί (peðÃ) n, αγÏÏι (agóri) n
Hausa: yaro
Hebrew: ××× (yéled) m, ×××ר (bakhúr) m
Hindi: लड़à¤à¤¾ unicode|(lÉá¹ka) m
Hungarian: fiú, csávó (slang), srác (informal)
Icelandic: strákur m, drengur m, piltur m, sveinn m (somewhat dated)
Indonesian: anak laki-laki, anak lelaki
Italian: bambino m (child); ragazzo m (teenager)
Japanese: ç·ã®å (ãã¨ãã®ã, otoko-no-kó), å (ãã, -kun), å°å¹´ (ããããã, shÅnen), åã
Jingpho: la kasha
Jèrriais: garçon#Jèrriais|garçon m
Korean: ìë
(so-nyeon, å°å¹´), ë¨ììì´ (namja-ai, ç·å+ìì´), ë¨ìì (namja-ae, ç·å+ì ), ìì´ (ai), ê¼¬ë§ (kko-ma)
trans-mid
Kurdish: KUchar|Ú©ÙØ±
Latin: puer m
Malay: anak laki-laki, putra
Novial: puero
Norwegian: gutt m (child); tenåringsgutt m (teenager)
Polish: chÅopiec m , chÅopak m
Portuguese: garoto, garotinho m, menino m, petiz m, guri m, infante, pueril (child); moço, mocinho m, rapaz, rapazote, rapazinho m, mancebo m, jovem (adolescent, lad, young male); pequerrucho, piquiticu, petitinho, catatau, baixinho, moleque m, pivete m, fedelho m (informal); putinho m (child / Portugal)
Punjabi: ਮà©à©°à¨¡à¨¾ (muá¹á¸Ä)
Romanian: bÄiat, fiu
Romansch: mat, giuven, buob
Russian: малÑÑик (málâÄik) m, подÑоÑÑок (podróstok) m, паÑан (patsán) m (slang)
Scottish Gaelic: balach m (child, adolescent), balachan m (child), gille m (of any age)
Serbian: деÑак (deÄak) m
Sicilian: picciriddu m (child); picciottu m (teenager)
Slovak: chlapec m
Slovene: fant m, deÄek m
Spanish: niño m, chico m, muchacho m, chaval m (slang), varón m (gender specification: boy or girl? = ¿varón o mujer?)
Swedish: pojke c
Telugu: బాలà±à°¡à± (bAluDu), à°
à°¬à±à°¬à°¾à°¯à°¿ (abbAyi)
Turkish: oÄlan
Ukrainian: Ñ
лопÑик (xlópÄik) m
Urdu: URchar|ÙÚکا (laá¹ka) m
Vietnamese: con trai
Welsh: bachgen m
trans-bottom
trans-top|a male African-American
Dutch: nikker m
Hungarian: fekete
Icelandic: negri m (often considered offensive)
Italian: negro m
trans-mid
Norwegian: negergutt m neger nigger
Russian: ÑеÑнокожий (Äernokóžij) m
trans-bottom
trans-top|male servant
Afrikaans: jong boy slang
Catalan: minyó m
Chinese traditional/simplified: ç·å, ç·ä» (nán pú)
Dutch: boy, huisboy m
French: garçon m, boy m (formerly, African male servant in colonies)
German: Knappe m, Boy m
Hungarian: szolga
Italian: ragazzo m
trans-mid
Japanese: ãã¼ã¤ (bÅi)
Norwegian: tjenestegutt m (young male servant)
Russian: ÑлÑга (slugá) m|f, лакей (lakéj) m, малÑÑик на побегÑÑкаÑ
m
Ukrainian: козаÑок (kozaÄók) m
trans-bottom
trans-top|male friends
Afrikaans: mans boys slang
Chinese traditional/simplified: èå¼, èå¼ (lÇo dì)
Danish: drengene c|p
Dutch: mannen p, jongens p, kerels p, (boys p, said by only teenage-20age female speakers)
French: les garçons m|p, les gars m|p (informal)
German: Jungs p
Hungarian: haverok, fiúk, srácok
Icelandic: strákur m
Italian: ragazzi m|p
trans-mid
Norwegian: kamerat m, kompis m (informal)
Russian: ÑебÑÑа (rebjáta) m|p
Sicilian: li picciotti m|p
Telugu: à°
à°¬à±à°¬à°¾à°¯à°¿à°²à± (abbaayilu)
Zulu: bafana bafana p (noun 1/2)
trans-bottom
trans-top|male of any age
Catalan: home#Catalan|home m
Chinese traditional/simplified: ç·ç, ç·ç (nán shÄng)
Danish: knægt c
Dutch: jongens p
French: gars m (informal)
German: Junge m
Icelandic: strákur m
Indonesian: pria, laki-laki
Italian: ragazzo m
trans-mid
Norwegian: gutt m
Russian: мÑжÑина (mužÄÃna) m
Sicilian: picciottu m
Swedish: kille, grabb
Telugu: à°à±à°°à±à°°à°µà°¾à°¡à± (kurravADu), à°
à°¬à±à°¬à°¾à°¯à°¿ (abbAyi)
trans-bottom
trans-top|adult male
Belarusian: мÑжÑÑна m
Catalan: home#Catalan|home m
Chinese traditional/simplified: ç·äºº, ç·äºº (nán rén)
Danish: fyr c
Dutch: kerel m, knaap m
French: garçon m
German: Kerl m
Hungarian: férfi
trans-mid
Icelandic: strákur m
Indonesian: bujangan, pria, laki-laki,
Italian: ragazzo m
Norwegian: mann kar fyr m
Russian: мÑжÑина (mužÄÃna) m
Sicilian: picciottu m
trans-bottom
checktrans-top
ttbc|Basque: mutil
ttbc|Breton: paotr m, paotred p
ttbc|Bulgarian: момÑе (momÄe) n
ttbc|Faroese: drongur m
ttbc|Frisian: jonge m
ttbc|Georgian: áááá (biÄâi)
ttbc|Guarani: mitã
ttbc|Ido: puerulo
ttbc|Interlingua: puero (child); garson (adolescent)
ttbc|Irish: buachaill
ttbc|Korean: ë¨ì (namja)
ttbc|Malay: budak, lelaki, laki-laki
ttbc|Romanian: bÄiat m
ttbc|Slovak: chlapec m, chlapÄa n
ttbc|Tupinambá: kurumĩ (child); kurumĩgûasu (adolescent)
ttbc|Ukrainian: Ñ
лопÑик (xlópÄyk) m
ttbc|Welsh: bachgen m
trans-bottom
Related terms
rel-top
altar boy
bagboy
ballboy
bellboy
boi
blue-eyed boy
boy crazy
boy genius
boy scout
boy toy
boy wonder
boyfriend
boyish
boys will be boys
copy boy
delivery boy
rel-mid
gameboy
golden boy
good old boy
homeboy
lowboy
my boy
newsboy
old boy
our boy
page boy
paperboy
pizzaboy
potboy
rent boy
tallboy
toy boy
rel-bottom
Interjection
boy
- Exclamation of surprise or pleasure
#: Boy, that was close!
#: Boy, that was good!
Translations
trans-top|surprise or pleasure
Chinese traditional/simplified: å!, å! (wÄ)
Danish: mand!
Dutch: zo#Dutch|zo!, amai (Flemish)
German: Junge, Junge!
trans-mid
Portuguese: puxa
Russian: блин (blin)
Slovak: fÃha
Swedish: gosse
Tok Pisin: olaboi
trans-bottom
Derived terms
attaboy
boy howdy
boy oh boy
oh boy
boys and their toys
boys will be boys
See also
girl, man (antonyms in some senses)
Appendix: Collective nouns
References
R:Websters
Category:1000 English basic words
Dutch
Noun
boy m (plural boys)
- a male domestic servant, especially colored in a colony
Italian
Noun
boy m inv
- a male ballet dancer
- a bellboy (in a hotel)
Turkish
Noun
boy
- size
- stature
Category:Turkish nouns
af:boy
am:boy
ang:boy
ar:boy
da:boy
de:boy
el:boy
es:boy
fa:boy
fr:boy
ko:boy
hy:boy
io:boy
id:boy
it:boy
kk:boy
ku:boy
hu:boy
nl:boy
ja:boy
pl:boy
pt:boy
ru:boy
simple:boy
sr:boy
fi:boy
sv:boy
ta:boy
te:boy
vi:boy
tr:boy
uk:boy
zh:boy
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