ヒロイン
hiroin[çiɾo̞ĩɴ]
The English word 'heroine' can be translated into Japanese as ヒロイン (hiroin). Wiktionary also lists 勇婦 (yūfu).
Meaning: female hero (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ヒロイン | hiroin | [çiɾo̞ĩɴ] (narrow) |
| 勇婦 | yūfu | [jɯ̟ːɸɯ̟] (narrow) |
In Japanese subcultures, ヒロイン is frequently used to describe the central female character of a story, regardless of whether she is a traditional 'hero' or a romantic interest. To emphasize a heroine's specific role as a female protagonist, the term 女主人公 is used.
Which one should you use?
ヒロイン is the most common way to refer to a female protagonist or heroine in modern media like anime, games or movies. In contrast, the kanji form 勇婦 is much more formal and literary, often used in classical contexts or historical writing rather than modern pop culture.
How do you pronounce it?
hiroin
Did you know?
- In the context of dating simulations or 'gal games', a story may feature multiple ヒロイン simultaneously, each representing a different romantic path for the player.
- The term ヒロイン is often used in Japanese marketing to describe the 'face' of a product or a specific female model in a campaign.
- Because ヒロイン is a katakana loanword, it carries a sense of 'character' or 'role' rather than a person's actual identity. To describe a real woman who performed a heroic act, Japanese speakers prefer words like 英雄 (hero) or 英雄的な女性 (heroic woman).
Examples in context
- 映画のヒロインThe movie's heroine
- 小説の女主人公The novel's female protagonist
- 女優のようなヒロインA heroine like an actress
- 歴史上の勇気ある女性Courageous women in history
- この映画のヒロインはとても強いです。Kono eiga no hiroin wa totemo tsuyoi desu.The heroine of this movie is very strong.
- 彼女は物語のヒロインとして活躍しました。Kanojo wa monogatari no hiroin to shite katsuyaku shimashita.She played an active role as the heroine of the story.
- 新しいアニメのヒロインが誰になるか楽しみです。Atarashii anime no hiroin ga dare ni naru ka tanoshimi desu.I am looking forward to seeing who the heroine of the new anime will be.
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are talking about a new novel they both read.
- 結衣 Yuiこの本のヒロインはとても勇敢ですね。Kono hon no hiroin wa totemo yuukan desu ne.The heroine of this book is very brave, isn't she?
- 健太 Kentaそうだね。本当にかっこいいと思うよ。Sou da ne. Hontou ni kakkoii to omou yo.Yeah. I think she's really cool.
- 結衣 Yui結衣なら、きっと彼女のようなヒロインになれるよ。Yui nara, kitto kanojo no you na hiroin ni nareru yo.If it were you, Yui, I'm sure you could be a heroine like her.
- 健太 Kentaありがとう、健太くん！Arigatou, Kenta-kun!Thank you, Kenta!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “heroine” translations and entries ヒロイン, 勇婦, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
