Entering the world of Boys’ Love can feel like learning a new language. Fans discuss ships and CPs, companies introduce pilot trailers, and comments fill up with references to fixed pairings, ghost ships, fanservice, semes, ukes and NC scenes. Viewers of Thai BL also quickly begin recognizing words such as phi, nong, teerak and the unmistakable raikan to pai ni heard before many broadcasts.

Some of these terms originated in Japanese manga culture, while others developed through Chinese, Korean, Thai or international fandom. Their meanings can also change depending on the country, platform or person using them.

This guide explains the most common BL terminology, frequently heard words from across Asian BL and the distinctions worth knowing.

Genre and regional terms

BL or Boys’ Love

BL, short for Boys’ Love, is an umbrella term for fictional media centered on romantic or sexual relationships between male characters. The genre originated in Japanese manga but now includes novels, anime, films and live-action series produced throughout Asia and beyond.

Not every story featuring gay or bisexual men is necessarily marketed as BL. Some productions identify more broadly as LGBTQ+ cinema, queer drama or romantic drama. The distinction usually depends on the work’s creative tradition, intended audience and official marketing—not the value or authenticity of its story.

Y series

A Y series is the term commonly used in Thailand for a BL series. You may also encounter Y novel, referring to the source novel behind a series, or the broader Y industry encompassing actors, productions, events and fandom.

Yaoi

Yaoi is a Japanese term historically associated with male-male romance fan works. International fandom later began using it as a general label for BL, especially works with more explicit sexual content.

That neat “yaoi means explicit BL” distinction is not universal, however. Meanings have shifted considerably across countries and generations. BL is usually the clearest modern umbrella term.

Shōnen-ai

Shōnen-ai is an older Japanese term connected to the early history of male-male romance manga. Western fandom once frequently used it for softer or less sexually explicit stories, contrasting it with yaoi.

That division does not accurately reflect how the terms have always been used in Japan. Today, shōnen-ai is most useful when discussing the genre’s history rather than as a label for every non-explicit BL.

Danmei

Danmei is the Chinese term for fiction centered on romantic or erotic relationships between men. It is especially associated with web novels, although danmei stories have also inspired comics, animation, audio dramas and live-action adaptations.

Because of restrictions on LGBTQ+ content in mainland China, some screen adaptations remove or obscure the original romance. These versions may instead be presented as stories about friendship, loyalty or brotherhood.

Bromance

A bromance depicts an especially close relationship between male characters without explicitly confirming a romance.

Fans sometimes use the word for censored adaptations or series filled with romantic subtext. Chemistry and interpretation alone do not make something an official BL, so the production’s marketing and the story presented on screen also matter.

JBL, KBL and other abbreviations

Fans frequently identify BLs by their country of origin:

These are convenient fandom abbreviations rather than separate genres with rigid definitions.

Honorifics and everyday language in BL

Subtitles often preserve forms of address that do not have an exact English equivalent. These words can reveal a character’s age, seniority, familiarity or emotional closeness. A change in how one character addresses another can therefore become an important relationship moment.

Romanization varies between subtitles, so the same word may appear with several English spellings.

Thai terms

Phi or P’

Phi—also written pi, phee or P’—comes from the Thai word พี่ and literally refers to an older sibling. It is also used when addressing or referring to someone slightly older or more senior, whether or not the two people are related.

It normally appears before a name, as in P’Aof or Phi Mhok. The term can communicate respect, familiarity or affection depending on the relationship and tone.

In a romance with an age difference, the younger character may continue calling the older partner phi even after they begin dating. The word itself is not romantic, but its delivery and context can make it feel intimate.

Nong

Nong comes from the Thai word น้อง, meaning a younger sibling. It can also refer to a younger or less senior person outside the family.

An older character may call someone Nong followed by their name, or simply nong. Like phi, it can sound neutral, protective, teasing or affectionate depending on the context.

Phi–nong can describe an older-younger relationship generally. It does not automatically mean the characters see each other as literal siblings, nor does it prevent the relationship from becoming romantic.

Khun

Khun is a polite Thai form of address placed before a name or used in place of “you.” It can be translated loosely as Mr., Ms. or a respectful “you,” although none of those captures every use.

Characters may use khun in professional settings, with strangers or when maintaining polite distance. Switching from khun to a nickname or more familiar form of address can signal that a relationship has grown closer.

Hia

Hia is a Chinese-derived Thai term for an older brother or older male. It is especially common in Thai-Chinese families and may be used for a respected older man who is not a biological brother.

Viewers may hear it in family businesses, crime dramas and stories featuring prominent Thai-Chinese households. As with phi, it can remain part of how someone addresses an older romantic partner.

Ai

Ai is an informal Thai prefix sometimes placed before a man’s name. Among close friends, it can sound rough, playful or teasing. In an argument or when directed at someone without that familiarity, it can become insulting.

Its meaning depends heavily on tone and relationship, so translations such as “hey,” “you,” “dude” or even a mild insult may all appear in different scenes.

Khrap, kha and na

Khrap and kha are Thai sentence-ending particles associated with politeness. Khrap is conventionally used by male speakers and kha by female speakers, although real usage can also reflect a speaker’s identity, style or the effect they want to create.

Na is another common sentence-ending particle. It can soften a request, add emphasis or make a line sound more coaxing and affectionate. Its exact feeling often disappears in English subtitles.

Romantic words and familiar phrases in Thai BL

Beyond honorifics, Thai BL viewers will repeatedly hear words of affection and everyday expressions that subtitles may translate differently from one series to another.

Ter or thoe

Ter, more formally romanized thoe, comes from the Thai word เธอ and means “you.”

Thai has many ways to say “you,” chosen according to age, status and familiarity. Ter can sound familiar, gentle or intimate, particularly between partners, but it is not exclusively romantic. Characters may also use names, nicknames or relationship terms instead of a pronoun.

Rak

Rak (รัก) means “love” or “to love.” It appears in countless Thai series titles, songs and romantic declarations.

Because Thai frequently omits pronouns when the meaning is understood, a character may simply say rak without explicitly stating “I” or “you.”

Rak na

Rak na (รักนะ) is commonly translated as “I love you.” The particle na softens the declaration and can make it sound warmer, gentler or more affectionate.

Depending on the scene, subtitles might render it as “love you,” “I really love you” or another natural English variation.

Teerak

Teerak, also written thi rak, tee rak or tirak, comes from ที่รัก and means “darling,” “dear” or “sweetheart.”

It can be used as a pet name for a romantic partner. Viewers may hear couples call each other teerak instead of using their names.

Faen

Faen (แฟน) means a boyfriend, girlfriend or romantic partner. The word itself is not gender-specific.

Asking pen faen kan mai? is essentially asking, “Will you be my partner?” or “Should we become a couple?” The precise English translation depends on the context.

Confusingly for English speakers, the same Thai spelling may also be used for an entertainment fan. Context normally makes the intended meaning clear.

Narak

Narak, more formally romanized na rak (น่ารัก), means “cute,” “adorable” or “lovable.”

It can describe someone’s appearance, personality, behavior or something they have done. When one character softly calls another narak, the word can sound particularly affectionate.

Kit thung

Kit thung (คิดถึง) means “to miss” or “to think of someone.” In a romantic context, it is usually translated as “I miss you.”

Thai can omit both the speaker and the person being missed when they are obvious from the conversation, so a character may say only kit thung.

Chai mai?

Chai mai? (ใช่ไหม) is used to ask for confirmation, similar to “right?”, “isn’t it?” or “correct?”

The phrase appears constantly in everyday dialogue. Its emotional meaning depends on delivery: it can sound playful, uncertain, accusatory or hopeful.

Mai pen rai

Mai pen rai (ไม่เป็นไร) can mean “it’s okay,” “no problem,” “never mind” or “don’t worry about it.”

Although often introduced to language learners as a single catch-all expression, its meaning changes with the situation. In an emotional scene, it may be used to reassure someone—or to hide that the speaker is not actually okay.

Su su

Su su (สู้ๆ) is an expression of encouragement comparable to “Keep going,” “You can do it” or “Fighting!”

Characters may say it before an exam, competition, performance, difficult workday or emotionally challenging moment.

Raikan to pai ni

What international BL fans often spell raikantopeni, raikantopini or raikan topini is actually the Thai phrase raikan to pai ni (รายการต่อไปนี้), meaning “the following program.”

It is heard at the beginning of many Thai television broadcasts as part of the spoken content-rating or viewer-advisory announcement. Because generations of international fans heard it before episodes without knowing where one word ended and the next began, the phrase became an affectionate fandom meme—and something of an unofficial opening anthem for Thai BL viewers.

Raikan to pai ni is not a character expression or romantic term, but it is one of the most recognizable pieces of Thai language associated with watching BL.

Korean terms

Hyung or hyeong

Hyung, also romanized hyeong, means older brother when used by a male speaker. A man may use it for a biological brother, an older male friend, colleague or romantic partner.

Because Korean BL centers on male characters, hyung is heard frequently. It can express seniority, closeness, dependence or affection, but it is not inherently romantic.

Oppa, noona and unnie

Other Korean relationship terms depend on the gender of both the speaker and the person being addressed:

These appear less often between a BL’s central male couple, but viewers may hear them from friends, relatives and supporting characters.

Sunbae and hoobae

A sunbae is someone more senior within the same school, workplace or profession. A hoobae is the corresponding junior.

The distinction is based on experience or entry order rather than age alone. Characters may therefore be older in age but still someone’s workplace hoobae. Sunbae is commonly used as a form of address, while hoobae is more often used to describe the junior relationship.

Japanese terms

San

-san is a widely used Japanese honorific attached to a name. It communicates ordinary politeness or respect and is not limited by gender.

Dropping -san or changing to a more intimate suffix can indicate growing closeness, but using someone’s name without an honorific can also feel overly familiar depending on the relationship.

Kun

-kun is often used for boys and men or by a senior addressing a junior, although its use is not exclusively male. It may sound friendly, familiar or gently hierarchical.

Chan

-chan is an affectionate suffix commonly used for children, close friends, partners or someone considered cute or endearing. Its use between adult characters can feel playful or especially intimate.

Senpai and kōhai

A senpai is a senior member of a school, workplace, club or other shared organization. A kōhai is the junior member.

Senpai is frequently used as a title or form of address. Kōhai generally describes the relationship and is less commonly used to address someone directly.

Sensei

Sensei is used for teachers, doctors and recognized experts. In BL, it may also appear when addressing manga artists, authors or other accomplished professionals.

Chinese and Taiwanese terms

Ge and gege

Ge, or the repeated and more affectionate gege, means older brother in Mandarin. It can also be used for an older male friend, admired senior or romantic partner.

The term does not establish a biological relationship by itself. In danmei and Chinese-language dramas, the tone and relationship determine whether it sounds respectful, familiar, flirtatious or deeply affectionate.

Didi

Didi means younger brother. Like gege, it may be extended beyond biological family to describe or address a younger male.

Xuezhang and xuedi

Xuezhang refers to a male senior student, while xuedi refers to a male junior student. These terms are especially useful in school and university romances.

Depending on the subtitle style, xuezhang may be translated as “senior” or preserved in Mandarin.

Shixiong and shidi

In historical, cultivation and martial-arts stories, shixiong refers to a senior male fellow disciple and shidi to a junior male fellow disciple.

These relationships are based on position within a sect, school or shared teacher’s lineage—not necessarily the characters’ ages. The terms appear frequently in historical danmei and xianxia-inspired stories.

Filipino terms

Kuya

Kuya means older brother in Filipino, but it is also used respectfully or affectionately for an older male who is not a relative.

A character may call an older friend, coworker or romantic interest kuya. As with Thai phi and Korean hyung, the term alone does not define the relationship as familial.

Ate

Ate is the corresponding term for an older sister or slightly older woman. It may be used for relatives, friends, coworkers and other familiar older women.

Po and opo

Po is a Filipino politeness marker often added to a sentence when speaking respectfully. Opo is a respectful form of “yes.”

English subtitles sometimes omit these particles, but hearing them can help viewers understand the level of respect or formality between characters.

Vietnamese terms

Anh and em

Vietnamese commonly uses kinship words as personal pronouns. Anh refers to an older male, while em refers to a younger person in relation to the speaker.

In a male couple with an age difference, the older partner may be anh and the younger partner em. These terms can continue throughout a romantic relationship and may become notably affectionate.

They are not exact equivalents of “you” or fixed sexual roles. They primarily communicate the speakers’ relative age and relationship.

Chị

Chị refers to an older woman in relation to the speaker. Viewers may hear it used for older sisters, friends, colleagues and other familiar women.

Why forms of address matter

Honorifics and kinship terms are not simply decorative words. They can tell viewers who is older, who entered a workplace first, how formally two people are speaking and whether their relationship has changed.

A character moving from khun to phi, from a surname with -san to a given name, or from a formal title to hyung can carry emotional weight that an English subtitle cannot fully reproduce.

None of these terms automatically confirms romance, dominance or a sexual role. Their meaning comes from the language, social setting, tone and relationship in which they are used.

Character and relationship roles

Seme and uke

Seme and uke are Japanese terms traditionally used to describe roles within a BL pairing.

Older works frequently connected these roles to personality, appearance and power: the seme might be taller and more assertive, while the uke might be smaller or more emotionally expressive. Modern stories increasingly challenge or discard those stereotypes.

Seme and uke should not automatically be treated as masculine and feminine roles, nor do they completely describe a character’s personality.

Gong and shou

Gong and shou are the Chinese terms most closely comparable to seme and uke.

These terms appear most often when discussing danmei novels and their adaptations.

Top, bottom and vers

These terms refer primarily to sexual positions:

They do not automatically indicate who is more dominant, masculine, older or emotionally assertive. A character’s sexual position and broader relationship dynamic are not necessarily the same thing.

NC scenes

NC scenes take their name from the NC-17 film rating and refer to intimate scenes that go further than a typical kiss. How explicit these scenes are varies widely by country, broadcaster and platform — some series air a softened broadcast cut on television and release an uncut version on streaming services, and fans often note which platforms carry which edit.

Main couple and side couple

The main couple receives the central romantic storyline. A side couple has a secondary relationship developing around the main plot.

Ensemble BLs can feature several couples with nearly equal importance, so the distinction is not always clear-cut.

Ships, pairings and fandom

Ship

A ship is a romantic pairing supported or imagined by fans. The word comes from “relationship,” while shipping means wanting two people or characters to be together. A ship can involve fictional characters, the actors portraying them or people who have never appeared as a canonical couple.

CP

CP generally means couple pairing. In BL fandom, it often refers to an actor duo promoted together through a series, appearances, advertising, merchandise or other activities. A CP is a professional and public-facing pairing. It does not confirm that the actors are dating in real life.

Ship name

Ship names combine the names of two characters or actors, such as OffGun, ZeeNuNew or GeminiFourth.

The order can follow established fandom usage, character dynamics, branding or simply what sounds best. It should not always be interpreted as definitive evidence of who is the seme, uke, top or bottom.

Fixed pairing

A fixed pairing is an actor duo repeatedly cast and promoted together, particularly within the Thai BL industry. Successful pairings may star in multiple series, release music, hold fan meetings, represent brands and develop a shared fandom identity. “Fixed” does not necessarily mean permanent. Actors may eventually work with different partners, pursue solo projects or stop promoting as a pair.

Official pairing or official ship

Fans generally call a pairing official when a studio or talent company actively promotes the actors together. This means the partnership is recognized professionally. It is not an announcement about the actors’ private romantic lives.

Ghost ship

A ghost ship is an unofficial or alternate pairing that fans enjoy despite the characters or actors not being promoted as a couple. It might involve supporting characters, actors from different official pairings or two people who shared only a brief interaction.

Ghost shipping is essentially fandom asking, “What if?”

Sunk or inactive ship

A ship may be described as sunk when it is no longer active or appears unlikely to receive new content. This can happen after actors change partners, leave a company or simply move on to other projects.

An inactive pairing does not automatically indicate a conflict between the actors.

Real-person shipping

Real-person shipping, sometimes abbreviated RPS, involves shipping actors or other public figures rather than fictional characters.

It is important to maintain boundaries. Promotional interactions, social media posts and chemistry do not provide access to someone’s private life or confirm a real relationship.

Chemistry

Chemistry describes how convincingly two performers connect on screen or during public appearances. It can include their timing, comfort, emotional reactions and physical presence.

Chemistry is subjective, and convincing chemistry is part of an actor’s performance—not proof of an off-screen romance.

Fandom name

A fandom name is the official or widely accepted name used by fans of an actor, artist or pairing. Pairing fandoms may have their own identity separate from each actor’s solo fandom.

Promotion and actor interactions

Fanservice

Fanservice refers to interactions or content designed to entertain fans and support a pairing. This might include playful flirting, affectionate gestures, teasing, coordinated social posts or recreating moments from a series.

Not every warm interaction is scripted, and fanservice does not necessarily mean an actor’s friendship is fake. It does mean viewers should avoid treating promotional behavior as confirmation of a private relationship.

Skinship

Skinship refers to affectionate physical contact such as hugging, holding hands, leaning on someone or touching their face.

The term is common across several Asian entertainment fandoms. Skinship can reflect friendship, comfort, fanservice or performance; context matters.

Fan meeting and fancon

A fan meeting is a live event where actors interact with fans through interviews, games, performances and audience activities.

A fancon combines elements of a fan meeting and a concert, usually placing greater emphasis on music and staged performances.

OST

OST stands for original soundtrack — the music recorded for a series. In BL, OST singles are frequently performed by the lead actors themselves and released with their own music videos, making the songs part of a pairing’s promotion as much as part of the show. Popular OSTs are regularly performed live at fan meetings and fancons.