女性
josei[d͡ʑo̞se̞ː]
The English phrase 'ladies' is translated into Japanese as 女性 (josei).
The term is used to refer to people of the female gender. You may encounter specific terms for gatherings based on the age of the women: joshikai refers to a gathering of young women, while joseikai implies a group of adult women.
Which one should you use?
女性 is a neutral, standard term for 'woman' or 'female' used in both formal and everyday contexts. In contrast, 婦人 is a more formal, old-fashioned term specifically used for 'ladies' in the sense of mature or married women, such as in the context of 'ladies' clothing'.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural 'ladies' specifically, you can add the plural suffix -tachi to the end of the word, forming 女性たち.
How do you pronounce it?
josei
Did you know?
- The word 女性 was borrowed from Middle Chinese and originally entered the language using a different reading known as 'goon'.
- In modern Japan, the word joshikai has evolved from a simple gathering of women into a popular social trend and a specific category of leisure activity.
- Depending on the level of politeness, a speaker might avoid using 女性 entirely and use more honorific or indirect terms to refer to ladies in a professional setting.
Examples in context
- ２人の女性はお互い微笑みあった。The two ladies smiled at each other.This sentence is useful for showing how to use 女性 when describing two people.Tatoeba #235451 by arnab, translation #72829 by CK
- 我が社のショールームは若い女性に大人気だった。Our showroom made a hit with young ladies.This sentence shows how 女性 can be used when describing a target audience.Tatoeba #186413 by huizi99, translation #23550 by trieuho
- パーティーに招待された客の中に二人の外国人女性がいた。Among the guests invited to the party were two foreign ladies.This sentence demonstrates using 女性 to identify people within a group.Tatoeba #198483 by bunbuku, translation #35674 by CM
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are at a cafe looking at people.
- 美咲 Misakiあの女性はとてもおしゃれですね。Ano josei wa totemo oshare desu ne.That lady is very stylish, isn't she?
- 大翔 Hiroto本当だ。いい雰囲気ですね。Hontou da. Ii fun-iki desu ne.You're right. She has a great vibe.
- 美咲 Misakiあっちの女性たちも楽しそうです。Acchi no josei-tachi mo tanoshisou desu.Those ladies over there look like they're having fun too.
- 大翔 Hirotoいい休日を過ごしているみたいだね。Ii kyuujitsu o sugoshite iru mitai da ne.It looks like they're having a nice holiday.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 女性, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 女性, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
