Japanese kanji for woman: 女 — writing and readings
The Japanese kanji for woman is 女, 3 strokes, N5 level. It is read as 'onna' (kun'yomi おんな) and 'jo' (on'yomi ジョ). The same character appears in 好き (ski, to like) — 'woman and child', and in 姉 (older sister), 妹 (younger sister), 母 (mother is written with a different character, but follows the same logic of kinship).
女 — three strokes in which you can see a seated figure with folded hands. The character is ancient, and with it came into the language combinations that today are read ambiguously: 好 'to like' is composed of a woman and a child, while 姦 — of three women — means 'noisy, quarrelsome'.
How to write the Japanese kanji for woman
- Meaning
- woman, female
- Onyomi
- ジョ、ニョ、ニョウ
- Kunyomi
- おんな、め
- strokes
- 3
N5 level, 3 strokes. Click 'Show order' — with just three strokes, the order isn't obvious.
Why 'to like' is written with a woman
好 consists of 女 (woman) and 子 (child). The traditional interpretation is a mother with a child as an image of affection; hence the meaning 'to love, to like'. The character is ancient, and its logic reflects the ideas of the time of its creation, not the modern Japanese view.
Words with the kanji for woman
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 女おんな | onna | Woman |
| 女の子おんなのこ | onna no ko | Girl |
| 女性じょせい | josei | Woman (polite, formal) |
| 彼女かのじょ | kanojo | She; girlfriend |
| 姉あね | ane | Older sister |
| 妹いもうと | imōto | Younger sister |
| 好きすき | suki | To like女 + 子 in one character |
Onna or josei — how to say it politely
In neutral and formal speech, one says 女性 (josei) — 'woman'. The direct 女 (onna) when talking about a person can sound a bit blunt, roughly like the English 'broad' depending on the context. In forms and on doors, 女 is written — there it is just a gender marker.
Write 女 yourself
FAQ
What readings does 女 have?
女 — 3 strokes, N5 level. Kun'yomi おんな (onna), on'yomi ジョ (jo): 女性 josei 'woman', 彼女 kanojo 'she'.
How do you say 'woman' in Japanese?
Politely — 女性 (josei). Colloquially — 女 (onna), but when referring to a specific person it may sound rude. 'Girl' — 女の子 (onna no ko).
Why is 好き written with 'woman'?
The character 好 is composed of 女 (woman) and 子 (child) — an ancient image of a mother's affection for her child. Hence the meaning 'to love, to like'.
How are 姉 and 妹 related?
Both characters contain the radical 女: 姉 (ane) — older sister, 妹 (imōto) — younger. In Japanese, kinship always specifies seniority.
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