恋人

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 恋人 (こいびと) is a noun for a person with whom one has a romantic relationship.
• Basic usage: 恋人と待ち合わせる marks the romantic partner met at a station, while 恋人へ手紙を書く marks the distant partner as the direction of a letter.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Meeting partner and letter recipient
  • 恋人と marks the person in a mutual meeting, whereas 恋人へ marks the recipient direction. The noun does not automatically mean a friend or confer legal marital status.