bishonen

See also: bishōnen

English

Alternative forms

• bishounen

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 美少年 (bishōnen びしょうねん), from Middle Chinese 美 (míj, “beautiful”) + 少年 (ʃèw-nen, “teenaged boy”) (compare Mandarin 少年 (shàonián)).

Noun

bishonen (uncountable)

1. An Asian aesthetic of young men whose beauty (and sex appeal) transcends the boundary of gender or sexual orientation, found in manga, etc.

Derived terms

• bishie

See also

• girlyman

Anagrams

• shinbone