Translation guide
A practice where someone, typically a young woman, dates older men in exchange for money or gifts. In Japanese, this is a specific social phenomenon with its own term.
To refer to the social phenomenon of dating for money or gifts, often associated with schoolgirls and older men.
The standard term for compensated dating, often abbreviated as 'enkō'. It literally means 'assistance/compensated socializing' and specifically refers to this practice.
援助交際は社会問題になっている。
Compensated dating has become a social issue.
彼女は援助交際でお金を稼いでいた。
She was earning money through compensated dating.
Slang abbreviation of 'enkō', commonly used in casual conversation and media.
エンコーしてる子もいるらしいよ。
I heard there are girls doing enkō.
A more recent term meaning 'sugar daddy activity', where young women date older men for money or gifts without necessarily implying sexual activity. It has a slightly different nuance from 'enkō'.
Avoid literal translations like '補償デート' or '報酬付き交際'. These are not used and sound unnatural. Use the established terms 援助交際 or パパ活.
援助交際 (enkō) often implies a more transactional and sometimes illegal relationship, historically associated with schoolgirls. パパ活 (papa-katsu) is a newer term that focuses on dating older men for financial support, often without explicit sexual connotations, and is more openly discussed among young adults.
Papa-katsu has become popular lately.