Share this link via
Or copy link
Kanji for Woman
The kanji most commonly used for "Woman" are 女、婦.
女
Kanji that mean Woman
女 (onna / jo) is the character for woman — three strokes, one of the first kanji ever learned, and one of the oldest: the original pictograph showed a kneeling figure. It ranges across the whole territory: 女性 (woman, the neutral modern word), 女王 (queen), 彼女 (she; girlfriend), 少女 (girl). Alone as onna it can sound blunt in speech — 女性 is the polite word — but as a character it is simply “female”.
婦 is the married or adult woman: 主婦 (housewife), 婦人 (lady, a slightly dated politeness), 夫婦 (husband and wife). Its right side is a broom — an etymology candidly of its era.
Around them: 娘 (daughter, young woman), 姫 (princess), 嬢 (young lady, mademoiselle), and 媛 (beauty, the character of Ehime prefecture) — each a more specific corner of the field 女 covers whole.
Words using Woman kanji
Everyday Japanese vocabulary built from the characters above.
-
女子
じょし
woman; girl
-
主婦
しゅふ
housewife; mistress (of the house); homemaker
-
女性
じょせい
woman; female; feminine gender
-
夫婦
ふうふ
married couple; husband and wife; man and wife
-
彼女
かのじょ
she; her; girlfriend
-
婦人
ふじん
woman; lady; adult female
-
男女
だんじょ
men and women; man and woman; both sexes
-
産婦人科
さんふじんか
maternity and gynaecology department (gynecology); department of obstetrics and gynaecology (gynecology)
-
女優
じょゆう
actress; female actor
Before you use Woman kanji
女 is legible and ancient, but as a standalone tattoo it reads as the plain word "female" — like wearing a restroom sign. If the intent is femininity as strength or beauty, a specific character says more: 媛 (graceful beauty), 姫 (princess), or a word like 才女 (brilliant woman).