坊ちゃん
ぼっちゃん
son (of others); young master; naive young man
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Examples
お坊ちゃんはおいくつですか。
おぼっちゃんはおいくつですか。
How old is your son?
御坊ちゃんに幸あれ。
おぼっちゃんにさちあれ。
All our best to that little boy.
あの人は苦労を知らない坊ちゃんだ。
あのひとはくろうをしらないぼっちゃんだ。
He's a sheltered rich kid who has never had it hard.
Common patterns
- お坊ちゃん
- your son (polite)
- 坊ちゃん育ち
- raised in comfort
- いいとこの坊ちゃん
- a boy from a good family
Memory tip
A polite word for someone else's son, paired with お嬢ちゃん/お嬢さん for a daughter — never use it of your own child. Applied to a grown man it turns sarcastic: pampered and naive about real life.
Kanji in this word
Quick check
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What does 坊ちゃん mean?