The word 男友 is formed by directly combining two fundamental concepts: 男 (nán), meaning "male", and 友 (yǒu), meaning "friend". This creates a transparent, compound idea of a "male friend". However, through common usage, this literal combination has taken on a more specific, culturally understood meaning, narrowing from any male friend to specifically denote a romantic partner, a boyfriend, where the relationship is conceptually framed within a context of friendship and companionship.