Kanji 女 - woman, female
Kanji 女 means woman, female. Onyomi readings are ジョ (jo), ニョ (nyo), ニョウ (nyou) . Kunyomi readings are おんな (onna), め (me).
JLPT N5Grade 1
Stroke order animation (3 strokes)
Stroke Order Diagram
Each box shows the kanji up to that stroke. Red dot indicates stroke start point.
Readings of 女
音On'yomi (音読み)
ジョ(jo)
ニョ(nyo)
ニョウ(nyou)
訓Kun'yomi (訓読み)
おんな(onna)
め(me)
女 in different fonts
Vocabulary with 女
| Audio | English  | Romaji | Japanese | Kana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| woman | onnanohito | 女の人 | おんなのひと | |
| girl | onnanoko | 女の子 | おんなのこ |
Common words containing the kanji 女
More Information about 女
Common words with 女 (onna/jo)
- 女 (onna)（おんな）: woman
- 女の子 (onnanoko)（おんなのこ）: girl
- 女性 (josei)（じょせい）: female; women (formal)
- 彼女 (kanojo)（かのじょ）: she; girlfriend
- 女王 (joō)（じょおう）: queen
- 長女 (chōjo)（ちょうじょ）／次女 (jijo)（じじょ）: eldest / second daughter
- 女子 (joshi)（じょし）: girl; female (e.g., 女子高 (joshikō) = girls’ high school)
Useful compounds where 女 (onna) is a part
- 好き (suki)（すき）: to like (kanji 好 (kō/suki) = 女 + 子 (onna + ko), ‘woman + child’ → affectionate)
- 姉 (ane)（あね）／妹 (imōto)（いもうと）: older/younger sister (both use the 女 (onna) radical)
- 婦人 (fujin)（ふじん）／主婦 (shufu)（しゅふ）: lady; housewife
Everyday phrases
- 女の人 (onna no hito)（おんなのひと） = woman (polite, neutral)
- 女友だち (onna tomodachi)（おんなともだち） = female friend
- 女性専用 (josei sen'yō)（じょせいせんよう） = women only (e.g., train car, area)
Cultural notes
You’ll see 女 (onna) in signs for restrooms (女性 (josei)・じょせい = women), school names (女子校 (joshikō)・じょしこう = girls’ school), and titles (女王 (joō)・じょおう = queen). In names and literature, kanji with 女へん (onnahen) (the woman radical on the left; e.g., 姫 (hime)・ひめ = princess, 媛 (hime)・ひめ = noble lady/princess) often carry a feminine or refined nuance.
