Manly Man
Man's Man, Real Man
noun
You learned the kanji as "Chinese," but remember how it could also mean man? Well, that's what this word means, but with a twist: this is a manly man. You know, a man's man — a real man.
漢 is an old-school word meaning "man," but with a particular emphasis on stereotypically masculine traits like toughness, pride, and grit. In modern Japanese, it can still be used in place of 男 when you want to highlight those qualities or praise someone's bold, no-nonsense manliness.
This word is made up of a single kanji, so it uses the kun'yomi reading. You didn't learn that reading with the kanji, but thankfully it's the same as the other word you know for "man": 男(おとこ). Just make sure you say it in an extra deep, manly voice.
漢のロマン
a true man's dream
漢の中の漢
a man among men
漢のプライド
a man's pride
漢の美学
a man's code of values, what it means to be a man
いやー、漢だねぇ。しびれる！
Wow, that's a real man right there. Gives me chills!
漢なら、約束は守れ。いいな？
If you're a real man, keep your promises. Got it?
逃げない姿に、漢を感じました。
I could tell he was a real man by the way he stood his ground.
彼は黙って責任を取った。漢だと思った。
He took responsibility without a word — I thought that was manly.