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What is the Kanji for "Woman"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Woman", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Woman" is "女".

This kanji has 4 readings:

Its kunyomi readings are "Onna" and "Me".

Its onyomi readings are "Jo" and "Nyo".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 3 parts:

The radical "く" means "Hiragana ku" . The radical "丿" means "Katakana no" . And The kanji "一" means "One" and can be read as "Ichi", "Itsu", and "Hito".

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "女" mean in japanese?

"女" means "Woman" .

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in First Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N5 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

彼女: "She". The Japanese pronoun '彼女 (かのじょ)' is used to refer to a female person. It can be used to talk about a girlfriend, wife, or any other woman. The pronoun is gender-specific and not used to refer to males. For example: She is my girlfriend - (彼女は私の彼女です). This book belongs to her - (この本は彼女のものです).
: "Woman". The Japanese noun '女 (おんな)' means 'woman'. This word refers to an adult female human being. It can be used to describe a mature, grown-up female individual. For example: The woman walked down the street - (女が通りを歩いていた). She is a kind woman - (彼女は優しい女です).
女性: "Woman". The Japanese noun '女性 (じょせい)' means 'woman'. This word is used to refer to an adult female human being. It can be used to describe women in general or to refer to a specific woman. '女性' is a general term and does not carry any particular connotation. For example: She is a strong woman - (彼女は強い女性です). Many women gathered at the event - (多くの女性が行事に集まりました).
長女: "Eldest daughter". The Japanese noun '長女 (ちょうじょ)' refers to the eldest daughter in a family. This term is used to denote the first-born female child, emphasizing her position within the family hierarchy. It can carry connotations of responsibility, seniority, and expectations placed on the eldest daughter. For example: My eldest daughter is very responsible - (私の長女はとてもしっかりしている). She is the eldest daughter - (彼女は長女です).
次女: "Younger daughter". The Japanese noun '次女 (じじょ)' refers to the second daughter in a family. It is used to indicate the position of the daughter among siblings, with the oldest daughter typically being referred to as '長女 (ちょうじょ)' and subsequent daughters being numbered in order. For example: My next daughter is a successful doctor - (私の次女は優秀な医者です).
女の子: "Girl". The Japanese noun '女の子 (おんなのこ)' refers to a female child or young woman. It is used to describe a young, typically pre-adolescent, female person. '女の子' can be used to describe girls of various ages, from young children to teenagers. For example: That girl is so cute - (あの女の子はとてもかわいい). The little girl played with her doll - (その女の子は人形で遊んでいた).
少女: "Girl". The Japanese noun '少女 (しょうじょ)' means 'girl'. This word is used to refer to a young female, typically a young woman or teenage girl. It can be used to describe a child or adolescent female and has a connotation of youthfulness and innocence. For example: The little girl played in the park - (少女が公園で遊んでいた). She is a very sweet little girl - (彼女はとてもかわいい少女です).
男女: "Male and female". The Japanese noun '男女 (だんじょ)' means 'male and female'. This word refers to both men and women, or the genders of people in general. It can be used to describe a group or population that includes both males and females. For example: The school has an equal ratio of male and female students - (その学校は男女の比率が等しい). Male and female employees - (男女の従業員)
女子: "Woman" or "Female". The Japanese noun '女子 (じょし)' means 'woman' or 'female'. It is used to refer to a female person, often in an academic or formal context. For example: The female students at the university - (大学の女子学生). She is a woman - (彼女は女子です).
女らしい: "Feminine". The Japanese adjective '女らしい (おんならしい)' means 'feminine'. This adjective is used to describe something that has a delicate, graceful, and traditionally female quality. It is often used to describe a woman's appearance, behavior, or mannerisms. For example: She has a very feminine style - (彼女は非常に女らしいスタイルだ). The actress played a very feminine role - (女優は非常に女らしい役柄を演じた).
悪女: "Villainess". The Japanese noun '悪女 (あくじょ)' refers to a female villain or an evil woman. This term is often used to describe a female character in stories, films, or anime who is the antagonist and has malevolent intentions or engages in wicked behavior. For example: She plays the role of the villainess in the drama - (彼女はドラマの悪女の役を演じている). The evil queen is the villainess in the fairy tale - (悪女は童話の中の悪女である).
女房: "Wife". The Japanese noun '女房 (にょうぼう)' means 'wife'. This term refers to a married woman, specifically the spouse of a man. It is a more formal and polite way to refer to one's wife. For example: My wife is a wonderful cook - (私の女房は素晴らしい料理人です). She is my wife - (彼女は私の女房です).
女性的: "Feminine". The Japanese adjective '女性的 (じょせいてき)' means 'feminine'. This adjective is used to describe something that has qualities or characteristics traditionally associated with women, such as softness, gracefulness, or delicacy. It can be applied to physical appearance, behavior, or even inanimate objects. For example: She has a very feminine style of dress - (彼女の服装は女性的です). This vase has a feminine design - (この花瓶は女性的なデザインです).
女王: "Queen". The Japanese word '女王 (じょおう)' means 'queen'. This noun refers to a female monarch who rules a kingdom or empire. Queens can hold significant political power and influence. For example: The queen rules the country - (女王はその国を治める). The queen is a wise and respected leader - (女王は賢明で尊敬される指導者である).
女優: "Actress". The Japanese noun '女優 (じょゆう)' refers to a female performer or actor who plays a role in a movie, play, or other theatrical production. This word is used specifically to denote a woman in this profession, as opposed to the more general term 'actor' which can refer to both men and women. For example: She is a famous movie actress - (彼女は有名な映画女優です). The actress gave a brilliant performance - (女優の演技は素晴らしかった).
女将: "Mistress". The Japanese noun '女将 (おかみ)' refers to the female proprietor or manager of an inn, hotel, or traditional ryokan. The term denotes a woman who is in charge of the overall operation and hospitality of the establishment. She is responsible for overseeing the staff, managing the finances, and ensuring the guests have a pleasant stay. For example: The mistress warmly greeted the customers - (女将が客を丁寧に迎えた). The inn's mistress prepared a delicious breakfast - (女将が美味しい朝食を用意した).
女中: "Maid". The Japanese noun '女中 (じょちゅう)' refers to a female domestic servant or maid. This term is used to describe a woman who is employed to perform housekeeping duties such as cleaning, cooking, and serving in a household. It carries a somewhat old-fashioned and formal nuance. For example: The maid cleaned the house - (女中が家を掃除した). She worked as a maid for a wealthy family - (彼女は裕福な家族の女中として働いていた).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "じ" is read as "ji". The hiragana "に" is read as "ni". The hiragana "お" is read as "o". The hiragana "ん" is read as "n". The hiragana "な" is read as "na". And The hiragana "め" is read as "me".