彼女
kanojo[ka̠no̞ʑo̞]
In Japanese, the phrase "her" is translated as 彼女 (kanojo).
彼女 is the most common and straightforward way to say "her" in Japanese. However, be aware that this word can also mean "she" or "girlfriend". To avoid sounding unnatural or overly direct, Japanese speakers often prefer to use the person's name or a title, such as 先生 (sensei), rather than using a pronoun.
How do you pronounce it?
kanojo
Did you know?
- The word 彼女 was actually created to translate Western literature and only gained popularity as a pronoun during the early 20th century.
- Because 彼女 can mean 'girlfriend', using it in a professional setting might accidentally imply a romantic connection if the context is not clear.
Examples in context
- 彼女と寝たの？Did you sleep with her?Tatoeba #11973264 by small_snow, translation #2103110 by Hybrid
- 彼女は父親似だ。She takes after her father.Tatoeba #86889 by bunbuku, translation #316821 by CK
- 彼女によろしく。Give my love to her.Tatoeba #94881 by small_snow, translation #308826 by Dejo
- 彼女は日本人ですShe is Japanese
- 彼女は本当に面白いShe is really funny
- 彼女は学生です。She is a student.
- 山田さんは彼女の家に行きました。Mr./Ms. Yamada went to her house.
- 彼氏と彼女は一緒に映画を見ます。He and she watch movies together (referring to a couple).
- 2119 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Ren are talking about a mutual female friend.
- 結衣 Yui彼女はいつ日本に来るの？Kanojo wa itsu Nihon ni kuru no?When is she coming to Japan?
- 蓮 Ren来月の初めにくるって。Raigetsu no hajime ni kuru tte.I heard she's coming early next month.
- 結衣 Yui楽しみだね。Tanoshimi da ne.I'm looking forward to it.
- 蓮 Renうん、彼女に連絡しておくよ。Un, kanojo ni renraku shite oku yo.Yeah, I'll get in touch with her.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 彼女, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 彼女, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
