Meaning:
“男友” means “boyfriend,” and “力” is short for “魅力” which means “charms.” This term, a derivative of “女友力” (a Japanese term for “feminine charms” which may refer to such traits as being gentle, elegant, beautiful and caring), means “masculine charms.” Chinese netizens frequently use the term “男友力max” to refer to charming men, as “max” is short for “maximum.” For instance, netizens used this term to praise Hu Haokang, the son of Chinese actor Hu Jun who appeared on popular TV show “Where Are We Going, Dad?” The boy didn’t talk much but took good care of the younger kids on the show. It’s agreed on by many netizens that good looks and, more importantly, being resolute when faced with problems, yet warm and caring towards others contribute to a person’s “男友力.”
Example:
A: 你熟悉小丽的男朋友吗？
Nǐ shúxī xiǎolì de nánpéngyǒu ma?
Are you familiar with Xiaoli’s boyfriend?
B: 我和他是中学同学，他可是男友力max，很多女生的梦中情人啊。
Wǒ hé tā shì zhōngxué tóngxué, tā kě shì nányǒulì max, hěnduō nǚshēng de mèngzhōng qíngrén a。
He was my classmate in high school. A very charming young man, he was the dream lover of many girls in our class.
(First editor: Debra Li)