In Japan, it invariably refers specifically to a cute high school girl in a sailor uniform. That Japanese has such a compact, productive phrase for this image implies that it's an important archetype in the Japanese psyche. Kamawan is a more brusque spoken variant. Koibito can be applied to both sexes, but it implies a more serious relationship. More than a mere adjective, kawaii qualifies as an aesthetic and an obsession in Japan.
More formal variants are keredo and keredomo.
The latter form is generally restricted to writing Japanese nowadays. It's also possible to use this term to refer to a spiritual violation or defilement. 43. kokoro - heart. Refers to mankind as a species, especially when contrasted with alien races, demons, elves, etc. Men have the option of using the reduced form ossu in casual speech.