# boy
## English
### Etymology

From Middle English boy / boye (“servant, commoner, knave, boy”), from Old English *bōia (“boy”), from Proto-West Germanic *bōjō, from Proto-Germanic *bōjô (“younger brother, young male relation”), from Proto-Germanic *bō- (“brother, close male relation”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰā-, *bʰāt- (“father, elder brother, brother”).
Cognate with Scots boy (“boy”), West Frisian boai (“boy”), Dutch boi (“boy”), Low German Boi (“boy”), and probably to the Old English proper name Bōia. Also related to West Flemish boe (“brother”), Norwegian dialectal boa (“brother”), Dutch boef (“rogue, knave”), Bavarian Bua (“young boy, lad”), German Bube ("boy; knave; jack"; > English bub), Icelandic bófi (“rogue, crook, bandit, knave”). See also bully.

### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation, General American) enPR: boi, IPA: /bɔɪ/
* Audio (General American):(file)
* Audio (General American):(file)
* (Southern US) IPA: /bɔːə/
* (MLE) IPA: [bʷɔɛ̯]
* Rhymes: -ɔɪ

### Noun

boy (countable and uncountable, plural boys or (eye dialect) boyz)
* A young male human. [from 15th c.]
    Kieran plays football with other boys in his school.
** 1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, Zachary [Zechariah] viij:[5], folio xcix, recto, column 2:The ſtretes of the cite alſo ſhalbe full of yonge boyes and damſelles, playnge vpon the ſtretes.
** 1711 March 18 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Jonathan Swift, “[Dr. Swift’s Journal to Stella.] Letter XVII.”, in Thomas Sheridan, John Nichols, editors, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, […], new edition, volume XIV, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1801, →OCLC, page 371:I find I was mistaken in the sex, it is a boy.
** 1812, Lord Byron, “Canto II”, in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. A Romaunt, London: Printed for John Murray, […]; William Blackwood, Edinburgh; and John Cumming, Dublin; by Thomas Davison, […], →OCLC, stanza XXIII, page 72:Ah! happy years! once more who would not be a boy?
** (particularly) A male child or adolescent, as distinguished from an infant or adult.
*** 1876, Frances Eliza Millett Notley, “A Tale of Love”, in The Kiddle-a-Wink‎, page 168:"He is not quite a baby, Alfred," said Ellen, "though he is only a big stupid boy. We have made him miserable enough. Let us leave him alone."
* (diminutive, especially with a possessive) A son of any age.
** 1805, Walter Scott, “Canto Fourth”, in The Lay of the Last Minstrel: A Poem, London: […] [James Ballantyne] for Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, […], and A[rchibald] Constable and Co., […], →OCLC, stanza II, page 94:Low as that tide has ebbed with me, / It still reflects to memory’s eye / The hour, my brave, my only boy, / Fell by the side of great Dundee.
** 2015, Gordon Smith, “Five-O” (38:10 from the start), in Better Call Saul, season 1, episode 6, spoken by Michael Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks):I tried. I tried. But he wouldn't listen. My boy was stubborn. My boy was strong. And he was gonna get himself killed. Now I told him, I told him I did it too. That I was like Hoffman, getting by, and that's what you heard that night: me talking him down, him kicking and screaming until the fight went out of him. He put me up on a pedestal. And I had to show him that I was down in the gutter with the rest of them. Broke my boy. I broke my boy.
* (endearing, diminutive) A male human younger than the speaker. [from 17th c.]
* (informal, sometimes mildly derogatory) A male human of any age, as opposed to a "girl" (female human of any age).
** 1889, Rudyard Kipling, “The Education of Otis Yeere”, in Under the Deodars, Boston: The Greenock Press, published 1899, page 10:"My dear girl, what has he done?" said Mrs. Mallowe, sweetly. It is noticeable that ladies of a certain age call each other "dear girl," just as commissioners of twenty-eight years' standing address their equals in the Civil List as "my boy."
** 1989 December 10, Tatiana Schreiber, Liz Galst, Emma Stonebridge, “Drawing The Line: Lesbian Sex And Art: What Do You Like, How Do You Decide?”, in Gay Community News, volume 17, number 22, page 9:It opened up a whole range [of feelings]. Some of them we were prepared for ― like for some women to feel some of the images were anti-feminist […] One woman wrote, "I can see the boys have taught you well." "Macho B.S.," someone else wrote.
    boys' club
* (obsolete) A male of low station, (especially as pejorative) a worthless male, a wretch; a mean and dishonest male, a knave. [14th–17th c.]
** c. 1603–1606 (date written), [William Shakespeare], […] His True Chronicle Historie of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Nathaniel Butter, […], published 1608, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv], signature [C4], verso:Do’ſt thou call mee foole boy?
* (now rare and usually offensive outside some Commonwealth nations) A male servant, slave, assistant, or employee, [from 14th c.] particularly:
** 1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 211:He allowed his ‘boy’ - an overfed young negro from the coast - to treat the white men, under his very eyes, with provoking insolence.
** 1973, Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow, 1st US edition, New York: Viking Press, →ISBN, part 1: Beyond the Zero, page 37:“Why does he go out and pinch all his dogs in person? He’s an administrator, isn’t he? Wouldn’t he hire a boy or something?” “We call them ‘staff,’” Roger replies, […]
** A younger such worker.
*** 1721, Penelope Aubin, The Life of Madam de Beaumount, ii, 36:I resolved to continue in the Cave, with my two Servants, my Maid, and a Boy, whom I had brought from France.
** (historical or offensive) A non-white male servant regardless of age, [from 17th c.] particularly as a form of address.
*** 1625, W. Hawkins in Samuel Purchas, Hakluytus Posthumus or Purchas his Pilgrimes, Vol. I, iii, vii, 211:
    My Boy Stephen Grauener.
*** 1834, Edward Markham, New Zealand or Recollections of It, section 72:They picked out two of the strongest of the Boys (as they call the Men) about the place.
*** 1876, Ebenezer Thorne, The Queen of the Colonies, or, Queensland as I Knew It‎, section 58:The blacks who work on a station or farm are always, like the blacks in the Southern States, called boys.
*** 1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 233:From a domestic point of view the advent of the Chinese was a decided blessing, for, instead of the European ladies of the settlement having to do all their own work, they were able to employ a proper staff of Chinese boys.
*** 1907 May 13, Evening Post, N.Y, section 6:[In Shanghai,] The register clerk assigns you to a room, and instead of ‘Front!’ he shouts ‘Boy!’
*** 1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 521:He thrust his head into the aisle. "Boy!" A Chinese in a white coat responded listlessly. "What will you have? Beer?"
*** 1960 February 5, Northern Territory News, 5/5:Aborigine Wally... described himself as ‘number one boy’ at the station.
** (obsolete) A male camp follower.
*** 1572, Flavius Vegetius Renatus, translated by John Sadler, Foure Bookes... Contayninge a Plaine Forme, and Perfect Knowledge of Martiall Policye..., iii, vii:If any water be rough and boysterous, or the chanell verye broade, it manye times drowneth the carriages and the boyes and nowe and then slouthfull and lyther souldiours.
*** 1599 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Cronicle History of Henry the Fift, […] (First Quarto), London: […] Thomas Creede, for Tho[mas] Millington, and Iohn Busby […], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vii], signature [E4], verso:Godes plud kil the boyes and the lugyge, Tis the arrants peece of knauery […]
* (now offensive) Any non-white male, regardless of age. [from 19th c.]
** 1812, Anne Plumptre translating Hinrich Lichtenstein, Travels in Southern Africa, in the Years 1803, 1804, 1805, and 1806, Vol. I, i, viii, 119:
    A Hottentot... expects to be called by his name if addressed by any one who knows it; and by those to whom it is not known he expects to be called Hottentot... or boy.
** 1888, Louis Diston Powles, Land of Pink Pearl, or Recollections of Life in the Bahamas, section 66:Every darky, however old, is a boy.
** 1973 September 8, Black Panther, 7/2:[In Alabama,] Guards still use the term ‘boy’ to refer to Black prisoners.
** 1979, Bert Newton, Mohammed Ali, The Logie Awards‎:BN: [repeating a catchphrase] I like the boy. MA: [to hostile audience] Hold it, hold it, hold it. Easy. Did you say ‘Roy’ or ‘boy’? BN: ‘I like the boy’. There's nothing wrong with saying that... Hang on, hang on, hang on... I'll change religion, I'll do anything for ya, I don't bloody care... What's wrong with saying that? ‘I like the boy’? MA: Boy... BN: I mean, I like the man. I'm sorry, Muhammad.
* (informal, especially with a possessive) A male friend.
** 1980, Paul Simon (lyrics and music), “Late in the Evening”, in One-Trick Pony:The next thing I remember, I am walking down the street / I'm feeling all right, I'm with my boys, I'm with my troops, yeah.
* (BDSM) A male submissive.
* A male non-human animal, especially, in affectionate address, a male pet, especially a dog. [from 15th c.]
    C'mere, boy! Good boy! Who's a good boy?
    Are you getting a boy cat or a girl cat?
* (historical, military) A former low rank of various armed services; a holder of this rank.
** 1841 May 6, Times, London, 5/4:Wounded... 1 Boy, 1st class, severely.
** 1963 April 30, Times, London, 16/2:He joined the Navy as a boy second class in 1898.
* (US, slang, uncountable) Heroin. [from 20th c.]
** 2021, Tim Weber, Heroin: the Ripple Effect:[…] drove by a corner, saw what I thought—no, what I knew—were dealers and asked if they knew where I could get some boy.
* (somewhat childish) A male (tree, gene, etc).
** 1950, Pageant:Are there “boy” trees and “girl” trees? Yes. A number of species, among them the yew, holly and date-bearing palm, have their male and female flowers on different trees. The male holly, for instance, must be planted fairly close to the female ...
** 1970 [earlier 1963], Helen V. Wilson, Helen Van Pelt, Helen Van Pelt's African Violets, Dutton Adult (→ISBN):
    Of the 100 percent total, 25 will have two girl genes, 50 will have one boy and one girl gene, and 25 will have two boy genes.

#### Alternative forms

* boi

#### Synonyms

* (young male): See Thesaurus:boy
* (diminutive term of address to males): chap, guy, lad, mate
* (son): See son
* (male servant): manservant
* (disreputable man): brat, knave, squirt
* (heroin): See Thesaurus:heroin

#### Antonyms

* (antonym(s) of “young male”): See Thesaurus:girl

#### Derived terms

* aceboy
* all-boys
* all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
* alphabet boy
* altar boy
* antiboy
* area boy
* attaboy
* atta boy
* baby boy
* backroom boy
* bad-boy
* bad boy
* bagboy
* bag boy
* ball boy
* banjee boy
* barboy
* Barnardo's boy
* barra boy
* barrow-boy
* barrow boy
* Barry boy
* bat boy
* batboy
* batty boy
* b-boy
* B-boy
* beachboy
* bell boy
* bellboy
* bendy-boy
* best boy
* big boy
* big-boy pants
* big boy pants
* big boys
* bimboy
* bioboy
* birl
* birthday boy
* bitchboy
* blackboy
* black boy
* blue-eyed boy
* boat boy
* boi
* bonfire boy
* book-boy
* boot-boy
* boot boy
* bootboy
* boss boy
* bovver boy
* box boy
* boy band
* boy-bishop
* boy bishop
* boy bits
* boychild
* boycock
* boy-crazy
* boy crazy
* boy-cunt
* boy cunt
* boy-cut
* boydem
* boydick
* boydyke
* boyeen
* boyey
* boyfriend
* boy friend
* boy-friend
* boyfu
* boyfucker
* boy-girl
* boy group
* boy hole
* boyhood
* boy howdy
* boy in blue
* boy in buttons
* boy in the boat
* boyish
* boyism
* boyitis
* boy juice
* boykin
* boykind
* boyleg
* boylesque
* boyless
* boylet
* boylike
* boylove
* boylover
* boyloving
* boyly
* boy meets girl
* boy-meets-girl
* boymode
* boy mom
* boyness
* boy-next-door
* boy next door
* boyo
* boy off
* boy oh boy
* boyology
* boy or girl paradox
* boy parts
* boy preggers
* boyproof
* boy pussy
* boy racer
* boys and girls
* boys and their toys
* boy scout
* Boy Scout
* boy scoutish
* boy-short
* boy shorts
* boy-shorts
* boyshorts
* boyslash
* boys of summer
* boys will be boys
* boy talk
* boytjie
* boytoy
* boy-toy
* boy toy
* boywife
* boy wonder
* boyzilian
* breaker boy
* brotherboy
* broth of a boy
* bubble boy
* bubble boy disease
* bubble boy syndrome
* buddy boy
* bug boy
* bully boy
* bully-boy
* bum boy
* bumboy
* busboy
* bus boy
* bushboy
* business boy
* bussy
* butcher boy
* cabana boy
* cabin-boy
* cabin boy
* cake boy
* callboy
* call-boy
* call boy
* camboy
* cash boy
* catboy
* caveboy
* CC boy
* charity boy
* Chelsea boy
* cherry boy
* chick boy
* chickboy
* Chinaboy
* choirboy
* choir boy
* choreboy
* cisboy
* city boy
* climbing-boy
* climbing boy
* college boy
* collegeboy
* conyo boy
* copyboy
* copy boy
* corner boy
* cover boy
* cowboy
* cuntboy
* daddy's boy
* damber
* dayboy
* day boy
* delivery boy
* demiboy
* dolly-boy
* donkey-boy
* dough boy
* doughboy
* drawboy
* dressing-boy
* Dutch boy
* Earthboy
* e-boy
* every good boy deserves favor
* every good boy deserves favour
* every good boy deserves food
* every good boy deserves fudge
* every good boy deserves fun
* every good boy does fine
* fag-boy
* fag boy
* fagboy
* fair-haired boy
* fanboy
* farm boy
* farmboy
* fboy
* femboy
* fireboy
* fisherboy
* flyboy
* fly-boy
* footboy
* frat boy
* friendboy
* friend boy
* fuck boy
* fuck-boy
* funny boy
* garden boy
* gay boy
* gayboy
* gay tyke boy
* gentleboy
* girl-boy
* girls and boys
* glory boy
* glowboy
* God boy
* golden boy
* golden shower boy
* good boy
* good ol' boy
* good old boy
* good old boy network
* good ole boy
* goshwowboyoboy
* grandboy
* grease boy
* Greenboy
* Green Mountain boy
* haut-boy
* hawk boy
* head boy
* henchboy
* herdboy
* herdsboy
* hod boy
* homeboy
* Honeyboy
* hoo-boy
* hoo boy
* hopper boy
* horse boy
* house boy
* house-boy
* houseboy
* Indian boys and girls
* It boy
* jack-boy
* jack boy
* Jewboy
* jobs for the boys
* jolly boy
* kanto boy
* kept boy
* keyboy
* kitchen-boy
* knife-boy
* ladyboy
* lady boy
* lardboy
* laughing boy
* lawnboy
* lazyboy
* leatherboy
* liftboy
* link boy
* little boy
* little boys room
* loblolly boy
* loverboy
* lover boy
* lowboy
* mama's boy
* mamma's boy
* man and boy
* manboy
* man-boy
* man boy
* M and M boys
* merboy
* milkboy
* momma's boy
* mommy's boy
* moneyboy
* monkey boy
* monster boy
* mummy's boy
* muscle boy
* my boy
* nancy boy
* nancyboy
* nerdboy
* newsboy
* newspaperboy
* nigger-boy
* niggerboy
* no-no boy
* Oakboy
* office boy
* oh boy
* old boy
* old boy network
* old-boy network
* our boy
* page boy
* pageboy
* paperboy
* party boy
* Peck's bad boy
* peg boy
* Perry boy
* pick-me boy
* pieboy
* pissboy
* pizza boy
* playboy
* ploughboy
* plowboy
* po' boy
* po' boy bread
* pony boy
* ponyboy
* pool boy
* poor boy
* poor little rich boy
* post boy
* postboy
* poster boy
* pot boy
* potboy
* prat boy
* pretty boy
* principal boy
* pull-up boy
* pussyboy
* pussy-boy
* pussy boy
* quarterboy
* ranchboy
* Ratboy
* rent boy
* roaring boy
* rude boy
* rudeboy
* rugby boy
* saga boy
* sailor boy
* salesboy
* sandboy
* schoolboy
* scooterboy
* sea boy
* send a boy to do a man's job
* separate the men from the boys
* shag-boy
* shamba boy
* shanty boy
* shoeshine boy
* shoot the messenger boy
* shopboy
* showboy
* sideboy
* since Adam was a boy
* since Adam was an oakum boy
* since Adam was an oakum boy in Chatham Dockyard
* slaveboy
* slave boy
* slicky boy
* snowboy
* soap boy
* softboy
* soft boy
* sonny boy
* soulboy
* soy boy
* Spudboy
* stableboy
* stable-boy
* stable boy
* starboy
* Steelboy
* stick boy
* stockboy
* stock-boy
* stock boy
* suck-boy
* suckboy
* superboy
* tallboy
* t-boy
* teaboy
* Teddy boy
* teddy boy
* telegraph boy
* the boys
* tom boy
* tomboy
* ton-up boy
* toy boy
* toyboy
* toy-boy
* traffic boy
* transboy
* trash boy
* turnboy
* unboy
* valley boy
* water boy
* wet boy
* when Adam was an oakum boy
* when Adam was an oakum boy in Chatham Dockyard
* whipping boy
* whiteboy
* Whiteboy
* white boy
* white boy wasted
* who's a good boy
* who's a pretty boy then
* wide boy
* wolf boy
* wonderboy
* wrenboy
* ya boy
* Yahoo boy
* yahoo-yahoo boy
* Yellow Boy
* yellow boy
* young boy
* your boy

#### Descendants

* Jamaican Creole: bwoy
* Sranan Tongo: boi, boy
* → Cebuano: boy
* → Chinese: boy
* → Dutch: boy
** → French: boy
*** → Lingala: bɔ́i
** → Indonesian: boi
* → German: Boy
* → Hungarian: boy
* → Iraqi Arabic: بوي
* → Italian: boy
* → Japanese: ボーイ (bōi)
* → Polish: boy
* → Russian: бой (boj)
* → Spanish: boy
* → Swahili: boi
* → Tagalog: boy
* → Vietnamese: bồi
* → Welsh: boi

#### Translations

Afar: awka
Afrikaans: seun (af), jongman
Albanian: djalë (sq) m, çun (sq) m, cull (sq) m, voc (sq) m
Aleut: hlax
Alutiiq: nukaɫpiaq
American Sign Language: FlatC@Forehead Flatten FlatO@Forehead
Arabic: صَبِيّ m (ṣabiyy), فَتًى m (fatan), غُلَام (ar) m (ḡulām)
Chadian Arabic: ولد (wiled)
Egyptian Arabic: ولد m (walad), صبيان m pl (ṣubyān)
Hijazi Arabic: ولد m (walad), بزر m (bazir) (colloquial)
Armenian: տղա (hy) (tġa)
Aromanian: hilj
Assamese: ল’ৰা (löra)
Asturian: neñu (ast) m, mozu (ast) m
Azerbaijani: oğlan (az)
Bashkir: малай (malay)
Basque: mutil (eu), mutiko (eu)
Bavarian: Bua m
Belarusian: хло́пец m (xlópjec), хло́пчык m (xlópčyk)
Bengali: ছেলে (bn) (chele), ছোকরা (bn) (chōkra)
Bhojpuri: लइका (laikā)
Bislama: boe
Bodo (Central Africa): ܛܰܠܝܳܐ (telnoa)
Bole: lawo
Breton: paotr (br) m
Bulgarian: момче́ (bg) n (momčé)
Burmese: ကလေး (my) (ka.le:), ချာတိတ် (my) (hkyatit), သူငယ် (my) (su-ngai)
Cahuilla: 'eqwashmal
Catalan: noi (ca) m, al·lot (ca) m, xiquet (ca) m, xic (ca) m, xicot (ca) m
Central Siberian Yupik: nukaɫpegaq
Central Sierra Miwok: ĉalí
Chamicuro: meploneye
Chechen: кӏант (kʼant)
Cherokee: ᎠᏧᏣ (atsutsa)
Chichewa: mnyamata
Chickasaw: chipota nakni'
Chinese:
Cantonese: 男仔 (naam$^4$ zai$^2$)
Dungan: щёхуәзы (xi͡ohuəzɨ), щёхуәр (xi͡ohuər), эрвазы (ervazɨ)
Hokkien: 丈夫囡仔 (ta-po͘-gín-á, cha-po͘-gín-á), 查埔𡢃仔 / 查埔㛠仔 (cha-po͘-kán-á)
Mandarin: 男孩 (zh) (nánhái), 少年 (zh) (shàonián), 男孩子 (zh) (nánháizi), 小伙子 (zh) (xiǎohuǒzi)
Chuvash: ача (ač̬a)
Cornish: maw m
Crimean Tatar: oğlan
Czech: chlapec (cs) m, hoch (cs) m, kluk (cs) m
Danish: dreng (da) c
Darkinjung: wungara
Dogrib: dǫzhìa
Dolgan: уол
Dutch: jongen (nl) m
Egyptian: (jd)
Elfdalian: påyk m
Erzya: цёрыне (ćorïne)
Eshtehardi: فوره m (fōra)
Esperanto: knabo (eo), knabiĉo
Estonian: poiss (et)
Evenki: омолги (omolgi)
Faroese: drongur (fo) m, piltur m
Finnish: poika (fi) m
French: garçon (fr) m
Old French: valet
Friulian: frut m, frutat m
Galician: neno (gl) m, rapaz (gl) m, raparigo m, petís m, catuxo m, boíno m
Gallo: gartz m
Georgian: ბიჭი (ka) (bič̣i)
German: Junge (de) m, Bube (de) m
Alemannic German: Bueb m
Gothic: 𐌼𐌰𐌲𐌿𐍃 m (magus)
Greek: αγόρι (el) n (agóri)
Ancient Greek: μειράκιον n (meirákion)
Greenlandic: nukappiaraq
Gujarati: છોકરો (gu) (chokro)
Haitian Creole: (ti)gason
Hausa: yaro, yārṑ
Hawaiian: keiki kāne (child), kāne ʻōpio (young man)
Hebrew: יֶלֶד (he) m (yéled) (child), נַעַר (he) (na'ár) (teens or twenties), בָּחוּר (he) m (bakhúr) (teens or twenties)
Hindi: लड़का (hi) m (laṛkā), बच्चा (hi) m (baccā)
Hiri Motu: mero
Hungarian: fiú (hu), csávó (hu) (slang), srác (hu) (informal)
Icelandic: strákur (is) m, drengur (is) m
Ido: yunulo (io), puerulo (io), infantulo (io)
Indonesian: anak laki-laki (id), anak lelaki
Ingrian: poika, poissi
Ingush: кӏаьнк (kʼänk)
Interlingua: pupo, puero m, garson
Inuktitut: nukatpiraq
Inupiaq: nugatpiaq
Irish: buachaill (ga) m, garsún m
Old Irish: macc m
Isoko: ọmọzaị
Italian: ragazzo (it) m (young man), bambino (it) m (child); ragazzino (it) m (teenager); maschietto (it) m, maschio (it) m
Jamaican Creole: bwoi, bwai
Japanese: 男の子 (ja) (おとこのこ, otoko no ko), 少年 (ja) (しょうねん, shōnen), 男子 (ja) (だんし, danshi) (young man), 坊や (ja) (ぼうや, bōya)
Jeju: 남ᄌᆞ아이 (namjawai)
Jingpho: la kasha
Kabyle: aqcic m, arrac m pl, aqṛuṛ m, iqṛaṛ m pl, arrac m pl
Kalmyk: көвүн (kövün)
Kamta: চেংৰা (seṅra)
Kaqchikel: ak’wal
Kazakh: бала (kk) (bala)
Khmer: ក្មេងប្រុស (kmeeng proh)
Khowar: ڈَق (ḍaq)
Korean: 소년(少年) (ko) (sonyeon), 남자아이 (ko) (namjaai), 남자애 (namjaae), 아이 (ko) (ai), 꼬마 (ko) (kkoma), 사내아이 (ko) (sanaeai)
Krio: bobo
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: کور (kur)
Northern Kurdish: kur (ku), xort (ku), kurik (ku)
Kyrgyz: бала (ky) (bala)
Lao: ເດັກຜູ້ຊາຍ (dek phū sāi), ທາລົກ (thā lok)
Latin: puer (la) m
Latvian: puika (lv), zēns (lv) m, puisis m, puika (lv) m
Laz: biç̌i, ბიჭი (biç̌i)
Lembena: ome
Lepcha: ᰊᰃᰥᰧᰀᰪᰱ (tagrikup), ᰣᰩᰵ (óng)
Limburgish: jóng (li) m
Lithuanian: berniukas m
Lombard: bagai (lmo), tos (lmo)
Lorrain: gachon, drole
Louisiana Creole French: gaçon, gason, ti boug, jènn boug
Luxembourgish: Bouf (lb)
Macedonian: момче (mk) n (momče)
Malay: budak lelaki
Malayalam: ആൺകുട്ടി (āṇkuṭṭi)
Maltese: tifel (mt) m, sabi m
Manchu: ᡥᠠᡥᠠ ᠵᡠᡳ (haha jui)
Manx: boie, guilley, myrneen, scollag
Maori: tamaiti tāne, tama (mi) (male child); taitama (young man)
Marathi: मुलगा m (mulgā), पोरगा (mr) m (porgā)
Mari:
Eastern Mari: рвезе (rveze)
Western Mari: рвезе (rveze)
Maricopa: mhay
Mazanderani: ریکا
Mbyá Guaraní: ava'i
Middle Breton: poltr m
Middle English: knave
Myene: onghwan'onome
Mòcheno: pua m
Mohawk: raksà:ʼa
Mongolian:
Cyrillic: хүү (mn) (xüü), хөвүүн (mn) (xövüün), хөвгүүн (mn) (xövgüün)
Mongolian: ᠬᠦᠦ (küü), ᠬᠥ᠋ᠪᠡᠭᠦᠨ (köbegün), ᠬᠥᠪᠡᠭᠦᠨ (köbegün)
Motu: mero
Naga Pidgin: chokra, mota
Nama: axab
Navajo: ashkii
Neapolitan: guaglione
Nepali: केटा (keṭā)
Nivkh: уткуоӻла (utkuoġla), азмытьэӻлӈ (azməțeġlŋ)
Norman: garçon m
North Frisian: dräng m (Mooring), dring m (Föhr-Amrum)
Norwegian:
Bokmål: gutt (no) m, tenåringsgutt m
Nynorsk: gut m, tenåringsgut m
O'odham: ceoj
Occitan: dròlle (oc) m, gojat (oc), gojardàs, garç, garçon
Old Church Slavonic:
Cyrillic: отрокъ m (otrokŭ), дѣтищъ m (dětištŭ), паробъкъ m (parobŭkŭ)
Old English: cniht m
Old Occitan: gart, guart
Old Prussian: wāiklis
Ossetian: лӕппу (læppu), лӕппо (læppo) (in Digor)
Ottoman Turkish: اوشاق (uşak)
Pannonian Rusyn: хлапец m (xlapec)
Pashto: هلک (ps) m (halək), ووړکی m (woṛkai)
Pennsylvania German: Buh
Persian:
Dari: بَچَه (bača), بَچَّه (bačča)
Iranian Persian: پِسَر (pesar), پُس (pos), جَوانَک (javânak)
Picard: garchon m
Pijin: boe
Polish: chłopiec (pl) m pers, chłopak (pl) m pers, chłopczyk (pl) m
Portuguese: garoto (pt) m, menino (pt) m (child), rapaz (pt) m (youngster), moço (pt), puto (pt) m (Portugal), miúdo (pt) m (Portugal), mancebo (pt) (Angola)
Punjabi: ਮੁੰਡਾ (muṇḍā)
Romagnol: burdël m, bastêrd m (Faenza)
Romani: ćhavo (Romani), raklo (non-Romani)
Romanian: băiat (ro), fiu (ro)
Romansch: mat, giuven, buob
Russian: ма́льчик (ru) m (málʹčik) (child), ю́ноша (ru) m (júnoša), па́рень (ru) m (párenʹ), подро́сток (ru) m (podróstok) (adolescent), паца́н (ru) m (pacán) (slang)
Réunion Creole French: garson m
Sami:
Inari: kandâ, pärni
Northern: bárdni, gánda
Skolt: âˊlǧǧ
Southern: baernie
Sanskrit: बटु (sa) m (baṭu)
Scots: lad, laddie
Scottish Gaelic: balach (gd) m, balachan (gd) m, gille (gd) m
Seraiki: چُھوہَر (skr) (chūhar)
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: дѐча̄к m, дјѐча̄к m
Roman: dèčāk (sh) m, djèčāk (sh) m
Sicilian: picciriddu (scn) m (child), picciottu (scn) m (teenager), carusu (scn) m
Sirenik: nukeɫpegaẋ
Slovak: chlapec (sk) m
Slovene: fant (sl) m, deček (sl) m
Somali: inan
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: gólc m
Sotho: moshemane
Southern Altai: уул бала (uul bala), уул (uul)
Spanish: niño (es) m (child), chico (es) m (teens or twenties), muchacho (es) m (teens or twenties), chaval (es) m (slang), varón (es) m, (gender specification: boy or girl?) ¿varón o mujer?
Sranan Tongo: boy
Svan: ჭყინტ (č̣q̇inṭ)
Swahili: kijana (sw)
Swedish: pojke (sv) c, kille (sv) c
Sylheti: ꠙꠥꠀ (fua)
Tabasaran: бай (baj)
Tagalog: lalaki (tl) (of any age), batang lalaki (child)
Tajik: писар (pisar), писарбача (tg) (pisarbača)
Talysh:
Asalemi: زوئه (zua)
Tamil: பய்யன் (payyaṉ), பையன் (ta) (paiyaṉ), பையல் (ta) (paiyal), பைதல் (ta) (paital)
Taos: ə̀wyuʼúna
Tarifit: aḥenjir m, aniybu m
Telugu: బాలుడు (te) (bāluḍu), అబ్బాయి (te) (abbāyi), యువకుడు (te) (yuvakuḍu)
Thai: เด็กผู้ชาย (th) (dèk-pûu-chaai), เด็กชาย (th) (dèk-chaai)
Tocharian B: kālyśke, śamaśke
Tok Pisin: boi
Tongan: tamasi'i
Turkish: oğlan (tr)
Turkmen: oglan
Tuvan: оол (ool), оол оглу (ool oglu)
Udmurt: пияш (pijaš)
Ugaritic: 𐎐𐎓𐎗 (nʿr)
Ukrainian: хло́пець (uk) m (xlópecʹ), хло́пчик m (xlópčyk)
Urdu: لَڑْکا (ur) m (laṛkā)
Uyghur: بالا (ug) (bala)
Uzbek: bola (uz)
Venetan: tóxo m, toxo (vec) m, toxato m, toxàt m, butèl (vec) m, bòcia (vec) m
Vietnamese: con trai (vi), trai (vi)
Volapük: pul (vo), hipul (vo) (male), hicil (vo) (female)
Walloon: valet (wa) m, gamén (wa) m
Welsh: bachgen (cy) m, bechgyn (cy) pl
West Frisian: jonge c
Winnebago: hocįcį
Yagara: budgera
Yakut: уол (uol)
Yámana: yaxaki
Yiddish: ייִנגל n (yingl)
Yoruba: ọmọkùnrin
Yup'ik: nukaɫpiaq
Zazaki: laj (diq) m
Zulu: umfana (zu) class 1/2 :
    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

### Interjection

boy
* Exclamation of surprise, pleasure or longing.
    Boy, that was close!
    Boy, that tastes good!
    Boy, I wish I could go to Canada!
** 2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 68:Time is running out, so I renounce a spin on a Class 387 for a fast run to Paddington on another Class 800 - a shame as the weather was perfect for pictures. Even so, it's enjoyable - boy, can those trains shift under the wires.

#### Related terms

* oh boy

#### Translations
### Verb

boy (third-person singular simple present boys, present participle boying, simple past and past participle boyed)
* (transitive) To act as a boy (in allusion to the former practice of boys acting women's parts on the stage).
** c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:I shall see some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness.

### Coordinate terms

* girl
* man

### References

* Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Massachusetts, G.&C. Merriam Co., 1967

### Anagrams

* BYO, Y. O. B., Y.O.B., YOB, YoB, byo, oby, yob

## Azerbaijani
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /boj/
* Audio:(file)

### Etymology 1

From Proto-Turkic *bod (“body, stature; self; kin, tribe, etc”).

#### Noun

boy (definite accusative boyu, plural boylar)
* height, stature
    Boyum balacadır. ― I'm short. (literally, “My stature is little.”)

##### Derived terms

* boy-buxun
* boy-buxunlu
* boy-buxunluluq
* boya çatmaq
* boyaboy
* boylu
* boynuburuq
* boynuburuqluq
* boynuyoğun
* boyunca

### Etymology 2
#### Interjection

boy
* Alternative form of bıy

### Further reading

* “boy” in Obastan.com.

## Cebuano
### Etymology

From English boy.

### Noun

boy
* houseboy, errand boy
    Synonyms: houseboy, muchacho, mutsatso

## Chibcha
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /βoi/, /βoɨ/

### Noun

boy
* Alternative form of boi

### References

* Gómez Aldana D. F., Análisis morfológico del Vocabulario 158 de la Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia. Grupo de Investigación Muysccubun. 2013.

## Chinese
### Etymology

From English boy.

### Pronunciation

* Cantonese (Jyutping): boi$^1$
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: boi$^1$
*** Yale: bōi
*** Cantonese Pinyin: boi$^1$
*** Guangdong Romanization: boi$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /pɔːi̯⁵⁵/

### Noun

boy
* (Hong Kong Cantonese) The name of the Latin-script letter B/b.
* (Hong Kong Cantonese) office boy

#### See also

* dog

## Dutch
### Etymology

Borrowed from English boy. Cognate with Middle Dutch boye (“young man, boy”), whence Dutch boi (“boy”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bɔi̯/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: boy
* Rhymes: -ɔi̯

### Noun

boy m (plural boys, diminutive boytje n or (informal) boykie n)
* (historical, now offensive) a male domestic servant, especially one with a darker skin in a colony
    Synonym: djongos (Indonesia)
* (informal) boy, young man
    Ik vind die Roy echt een rare boy. ― I think this Roy is really a strange young man.

#### Derived terms

* mooiboy

#### Descendants

* → French: boy
** → Lingala: bɔ́i
* → Indonesian: boi

### See also

* guy

## French
### Etymology

Borrowed from English boy.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bɔj/
* Audio; “cow-boy”:(file)

### Noun

boy m (plural boys)
* (now historical, offensive) boy (non-white male servant)
** 1930, André Malraux, La Voie royale:Claude allait l’ouvrir mais le ton sur lequel le délégué appelait son boy lui fit lever la tête : l’auto attendait, bleue sous l’ampoule de la porte; le boy, qui s’était écarté – en voyant arriver le délégué sans doute – se rapprochait, hésitant.(please add an English translation of this quotation)

#### Descendants

* → Lingala: bɔ́i

### Further reading

* “boy”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

## Hungarian
### Etymology

Borrowed from English boy.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈboj]
* Hyphenation: boy
* Rhymes: -oj
* Homophone: boly

### Noun

boy (plural boyok)
* A young male servant, low-position assistant.
** bellboy (in a hotel)
    Synonym: londiner
** office boy, errand boy, deliveryman
    Synonyms: kifutófiú, kézbesítő
* (dated) A male ballet dancer.

#### Derived terms

* boyszolgálat

### See also

* görl

### Further reading

* boy in Nóra Ittzés, editor, A magyar nyelv nagyszótára [A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (Nszt.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published a–ez as of 2024).

## Italian
### Etymology

Pseudo-anglicism. In the sense "bellboy", a clipping of English bellboy; in other meanings, a transferred sense of English boy.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈbɔj/
* Rhymes: -ɔj
* Hyphenation: bòy

### Noun

boy m (plural boys)
* a male ballet dancer
* bellboy (in a hotel)

### References

* ↑ boy in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)

### Further reading

* boy in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

## Ladino
### Etymology

From Turkish boy (“stature, size”).

### Noun

boy m
* size
* age

## Middle English
### Noun

boy (plural boys)
* Alternative spelling of boye

## Polish
### Etymology

Pseudo-anglicism, derived from boy.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈbɔj/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -ɔj
* Syllabification: boy
* Homophone: boj

### Noun

boy m pers
* bellboy, office boy
    Synonym: garson

#### Declension
### Further reading

* boy in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
* boy in Polish dictionaries at PWN

## Portuguese
### Etymology 1

Unadapted borrowing from English boy. In the sense office boy, an ellipsis of office boy, from English office boy.

#### Alternative forms

* bói

#### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /ˈbɔj/ [ˈbɔɪ̯]
* (Portugal) IPA: /ˈbɔj/
* Rhymes: -ɔj

#### Noun

boy m (plural boys)
* office boy
    Synonym: office boy
* (Brazil, slang) boyfriend (male partner)
    Synonyms: namorado, (gay slang) bofe
    Estou com meu boy. ― I am together with my boyfriend.
* (Brazil, slang, sometimes derogatory) a young, upper-class man
    Synonyms: (Brazil) mauricinho, (Brazil) playboy
* (Brazil, slang) young man
    Me declarei pro boy. ― I declared [my love] for the guy.

##### Derived terms

* boyceta
* boyzinho

##### Related terms

* cowboy
* motoboy
* office boy
* pit boy
* playboy

### Etymology 2
#### Pronunciation

* (Brazil) IPA: /ˈboj/ [ˈboɪ̯]
* (Portugal) IPA: /ˈboj/
* Rhymes: -oj

#### Noun

boy m (plural boys)
* Obsolete spelling of boi.

### Further reading

* “boy”, in iDicionário Aulete (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2025
* “boy”, in Dicio – Dicionário Online de Português (in Portuguese), Porto: 7Graus, 2009–2025
* “boy”, in Dicionário inFormal (in Portuguese), 2006–2025
* “boy”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
* “boy”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2025
* “boy”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

## Salar
### Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *bȫg.

### Pronunciation

* (Jiezi, Gaizi, Xunhua, Qinghai) IPA: [poiʲ], [pojɨ]
* (Xunhua, Hualong, Qinghai, Yining, Xinjiang) IPA: /poj/

### Noun

boy
* spider

### References

* Potanin, G.N. (1893) “boy”, in Тангутско-Тибетская окраина Китая и Центральная Монголия (in Russian)
* Kakuk, S. (1962) “boy”, in “Un Vocabulaire Salar”, in Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae‎, volume 14, number 2, Akadémiai Kiadó, →ISBN, pages 173-196
* Tenishev, Edhem (1976) “boy”, in Stroj salárskovo jazyká [Grammar of Salar], Moscow, pages 451-452
* 林莲云 [Lin Lianyun] (1985) “boy”, in 撒拉语简志 [A Brief History of Salar]‎, Beijing: 民族出版社: 琴書店, →OCLC, page 121
* Ma, Chengjun, Han, Lianye, Ma, Weisheng (December 2010) “boy”, in 米娜瓦尔 艾比布拉 (Minavar Abibra), editor, 撒维汉词典 (Sāwéihàncídiǎn) [Salar-Uyghur-Chinese dictionary] (in Chinese), 1st edition, Beijing, →ISBN, page 50
* 马伟 (Ma Wei), 朝克 (Chao Ke) (2016) “boy”, in 濒危语言——撒拉语研究 [Endangered Languages ​​- Salar Language Studies], 青海 (Qinghai): 国家社会科学基金项目 (National Social Science Foundation Project), page 265

## Spanish
### Etymology

Pseudo-anglicism, derived from boy.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈboi/ [ˈboi̯]
* Rhymes: -oi
* Syllabification: boy

### Noun

boy m (plural boys)
* a male stripper

### Further reading

* “boy”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

## Sranan Tongo
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /boj/, [ˈbʊ̞j], [ˈbɔ̝j]

### Noun

boy
* Alternative form of boi (official spelling)

## Tagalog
### Etymology

Borrowed from English boy.

### Pronunciation

* (Standard Tagalog) IPA: /ˈboj/ [ˈboɪ̯]
* Rhymes: -oj
* Syllabification: boy
* Homophone: Boy

### Noun

boy (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜓᜌ᜔) (colloquial)
* boy (young male)
* errand boy; houseboy; boy doing a menial job (usually young)
    Synonyms: mutsatso, utusan

#### Derived terms

* biniboy
* takatak boy
* yosi boy

#### Related terms

* boypren

#### See also

* bata
* itoy
* totoy

### Further reading

* “boy”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018

## Turkish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [boj]

### Etymology 1

From Proto-Turkic *bod. See dialectal bodur (“stout, short”).

#### Noun

boy (definite accusative boyu, plural boylar)
* stature
    Boyun ne kadar? ― How tall are you? (lit. "How much is your stature?")
* size
    küçük boy ― small size

##### Derived terms

* boylu
* boyluluk
* boysuz
* boysuzluk

### Etymology 2
#### Noun

boy (definite accusative boyu, plural boylar)
* tribe, clan
    eski Türk boyları tarihi ― history of ancient Turkish clans

##### Declension
### Etymology 3

From Ottoman Turkish بوی (boy).

#### Noun

boy
* (only constructed with otu or tohumu) fenugreek
    Synonym: çemen

#### References

* Clauson, Gerard (1972) “”, in An Etymological Dictionary of pre-thirteenth-century Turkish, Oxford: Clarendon Press, page 384b
* Eren, Hasan (1999) “boy”, in Türk Dilinin Etimolojik Sözlüğü [Etymological Dictionary of the Turkish Language]‎ (in Turkish), Ankara: Bizim Büro Basım Evi, page 59a