女優
joyū[d͡ʑo̞jɯ̟ː]
The Japanese word for actress is 女優 (joyū).
女優 refers specifically to a female actor.
Meaning: female actor (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 女優 is gender-specific to females, the term 俳優 is a gender-neutral term used for both male and female actors. In professional industry contexts, 俳優 is more common when referring to the profession regardless of gender.
How do you pronounce it?
joyū
Did you know?
- Historically, in traditional Kabuki theater, women were banned from the stage in 1629, meaning the role of 'actress' was filled by male actors called 女形.
- The word 女優 is frequently used in Japanese magazine headlines to describe any woman perceived as having a 'star-like' or highly glamorous presence, even if she is not an actor.
- The character 優 in 女優 is also used in the word 優しい, which means 'kind' or 'gentle' in modern Japanese.
Examples in context
- 彼女は女優になった。She became an actress.This sentence is useful for showing how to use 女優 when describing someone's profession.Tatoeba #88717 by bunbuku, translation #314991 by CK
- 彼は女優と結婚した。He married an actress.This sentence is useful for describing a marriage to an 女優.Tatoeba #104216 by bunbuku, translation #299475 by CK
- メアリーは名女優ですか？Is Mary a famous actress?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is a famous 女優.Tatoeba #10450829 by small_snow, translation #10359834 by terrywallwork
- 私の姉は有名な女優です。My sister is a famous actress.
- 彼女は映画の女優さんですね。She is a movie actress, isn't she?
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a TV drama at a cafe.
- 美咲 Misakiあの女優は、とても演技が上手ですね。Ano joyu wa, totemo engi ga jouzu desu ne.That actress is a very good actress.
- 大翔 Hirotoはい、彼女は素晴らしい女優だと思います。Hai, kanojo wa subarashii joyu da to omoimasu.Yes, I think she is a wonderful actress.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔さんは、彼女の映画を見たことがありますか？Hiroto-san wa, kanojo no eiga o mita koto ga arimasu ka?Hiroto, have you seen her movies before?
- 大翔 Hirotoいいえ、まだ見たことがありません。Iie, mada mita koto ga arimasen.No, I haven't seen them yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “actress” translations and entries 女優, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
