gentlemen; gents
Polite or respectful term for a group of men, often used in service contexts (e.g., by staff addressing male customers). Slightly old-fashioned; 皆様 is more common in modern polite speech.
Gentlemen, thank you for waiting.
That shop is always bustling with gentlemen.
Singular form meaning 'master', 'husband', or 'patron'; 旦那衆 is the plural, referring to a group of such men.
旦那衆 combines 旦那 with 衆, denoting a group of patrons or gentlemen. 旦那 developed through Buddhist 檀那 from a source word meaning “giving” or “gift,” and originally referred to a donor or patron.