Translation guide
In Japanese, referring to 'those guys' depends heavily on social context, politeness level, and the relationship between speaker and referent. Direct translations exist but are often replaced by names, titles, or omitted entirely when clear from context.
The speaker is casually referring to a group of males, often friends or peers, in an informal setting.
Very common casual term for 'those guys', often used among male friends. Can sound rough or derogatory depending on tone.
あいつら、まだ来てないよ。
Those guys haven't come yet.
あいつらと遊ぶの楽しい。
Hanging out with those guys is fun.
Standard 'they' or 'those guys', but can sound a bit formal or written. In casual speech, it's less common than あいつら.
Literally 'those men', more specific and less common in casual conversation. Can sound stiff.
あの男たちは誰？
Who are those guys?
The speaker is casually referring to a group of people whose gender is mixed or irrelevant.
Neutral and polite enough for most casual situations. Works for any group of people.
あの人たち、何してるの？
What are those guys doing?
The speaker needs to refer to a group politely, such as in business or when talking about strangers respectfully.
Polite way to say 'those people'. Suitable for formal situations or when showing respect.
あの方々はどちら様ですか？
Who are those gentlemen/ladies?
In Japanese, it's often more natural to use the group's name, title, or a descriptive phrase rather than a pronoun.
Instead of a generic 'those guys', use the person's name with a pluralizing suffix like たち, or their role/title. This is very common and natural.
田中さんたち、まだ来てないね。
Tanaka and the others haven't come yet. (lit. Tanaka-tachi)
The speaker wants to express contempt, anger, or extreme informality towards a group.
Very rough and derogatory. 'Yarō' is a strong word for 'bastard' or 'jerk'. Use with extreme caution.
Highly offensive. Only used in very informal, angry, or joking contexts among close friends.
あの野郎ども、ぶっ飛ばしてやる！
I'll beat the crap out of those guys!
Directly translating 'those guys' as あいつら or 彼ら can sound rude or overly familiar in formal situations. Use あの方々 or names/titles instead.
Adding たち to a name or noun is the most common way to refer to a group including that person. It's not limited to males and is very natural.
山田さんたち
Yamada and the others / those guys with Yamada
Those guys already went home.
Used for younger people or in a friendly, somewhat affectionate way. Can be used for mixed groups if they are young.
あの子たち、元気だね。
Those guys are energetic, aren't they?
Even more polite and indirect, using 'achira' (that direction) instead of 'ano'.
あちらの方々にお伝えください。
Please tell those people over there.
Those guys from sales are in a meeting.
If the context is clear, simply dropping the subject is natural. Japanese often omits pronouns when they can be inferred.
もう帰ったよ。
Those guys already left. (if clear from context)
While commonly casual, it can carry a derogatory nuance depending on tone and context.
あいつら、マジでむかつく。
Those guys really piss me off.