Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 彼女 | kanojo | [ka̠no̞ʑo̞] (narrow) |
| 意中の女 | ichū no onna | |
| ガールフレンド | gārufurendo | [ɡa̠ːɾɯ̟ɸɯ̟̊ɾẽ̞ndo̞] (narrow) |
| 付き合ってる人 | tsukiatteru hito |
In Japanese, there are several ways to refer to a romantic partner. The standard term is 彼女, which refers to a female partner. However, because 彼女 can also mean the third-person singular feminine pronoun "she", speakers often use the phrase 付き合ってる人 to specifically clarify they are talking about a person they are dating. If you want to imply a more serious, committed or deeply romantic relationship, the term 恋人 is often used.
Which one should you use?
彼女 is the standard term but is ambiguous because it also means "she" in many contexts. To remove this ambiguity, you can use 付き合ってる人 to mean "the person I am dating". The loanword ガールフレンド is also available but often carries a more casual or Westernized nuance.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
彼女 can be used in both formal and colloquial settings.
How do you pronounce it?
kanojo
Did you know?
- The use of 彼女 as a third-person pronoun was created in the late 19th century to better translate Western literature.
- The term 意中の女 can be used to refer to a woman who is in someone's heart, though it is much more literary than 'girlfriend'.
- While 彼女 is common, the term 恋人 can be used for both a boyfriend and a girlfriend.
Examples in context
- 彼女が欲しいな。I want a girlfriend.This sentence shows how to express a desire for a girlfriend using 彼女.Tatoeba #10569693 by small_snow, translation #2011485 by CK
- 彼女を愛してる。I love my girlfriend.This sentence demonstrates expressing love for a girlfriend using 彼女.Tatoeba #11903833 by small_snow, translation #9975213 by shekitten
- 彼女は私の恋人だ。She is my girlfriend.This sentence shows how to identify someone as a girlfriend using 彼女.Tatoeba #89313 by bunbuku, translation #312168 by CK
- 196 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota and Misaki are talking about Yota's personal life.
- 陽太 Yota実は、最近彼女ができたんだ。Jitsu wa, saikin kanojo ga dekita n da.Actually, I recently got a girlfriend.
- 美咲 Misaki本当？どんな人なの？Hontō? Donna hito nano?Really? What is she like?
- 陽太 Yota彼女はとても優しい人だよ。Kanojo wa totemo yasashii hito da yo.My girlfriend is a very kind person.
- 美咲 Misakiそれは良かったね！Sore wa yokatta ne!That's great!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “girlfriend” translations and entries 彼女, ガールフレンド, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ガールフレンド, 彼女, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
