Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 女の人 | onna no hito | [õ̞nːa̠ no̞ çi̥to̞] (narrow) | polite |
| 女 | onna | [õ̞nːa̠] (narrow) [o̞mʲina̠] (narrow) [me̞] (narrow) [d͡ʑo̞] (narrow) |
|
| 女性 | josei | [d͡ʑo̞se̞ː] (narrow) [ɲ̟o̞ɕo̞ː] (narrow) |
|
| 女人 | nyonin |
These terms are used to refer to an adult female person. The character 女 is also used in compound words, such as 女装, which means cross-dressing as a woman.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 女の人 is literally composed of onna (woman) and hito (person).
Which one should you use?
While 女 means woman, using it to refer to a person directly can sound blunt, overly sexualized or even rude depending on the context. To soften this bluntness in everyday conversation, use the polite phrase 女の人. For a standard, polite and more formal way to refer to a woman in professional settings, use 女性. The term 女人 is also a form of the word.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
女性 is a common and neutral word used in formal situations. For a slightly more polite term often used for married or older women, one might use 婦人. In everyday conversation, 女の人 is a polite and natural choice. In contrast, 女 is more neutral or informal but carries the risk of sounding crude. Note that 女の子 (girl) can be used informally to refer to a young woman, while おばさん is a term for middle-aged or older women that may be considered impolite in certain contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
josei
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often use onna to mean woman in conversation, but in Japanese, using onna alone to describe a person can sound dehumanizing or crude. It is much safer to use josei or onna no hito instead.
Did you know?
- The term obasan for a middle-aged woman is a kinship term meaning 'aunt', but it is used generally for any woman of that age.
- The use of onna can be so blunt that it is sometimes used in Japanese fiction to signal a character's arrogance or lack of respect.
- The word onna evolved from an Old Japanese root me, which is a distinct linguistic root from the word for 'eye' also pronounced me.
Examples in context
- 私は女性です。I am a woman.This sentence is useful for stating your own gender using the form 女.Tatoeba #764119 by arihato, translation #740214 by CC
- 彼は女装した。He disguised himself as a woman.This sentence shows the use of the character 女 in the context of cross-dressing.Tatoeba #2430544 by bunbuku, translation #299469 by CK
- 女の心は猫の眼。A woman’s heart is as easy to change as a cat’s eyes.This sentence uses the character 女 in a metaphorical expression.Tatoeba #2301139 by e4zh1nmcz, translation #8871947 by pia29
- 私の上司は素晴らしい女性です。My boss is an amazing woman.
- 彼女はとても快活な女の人です。She is a very cheerful woman.
- あの女の子は将来有望な医者になりたいと言っていました。That girl said she wants to become a promising doctor in the future.
- 232 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Himi and Youta are talking about a new employee at work.
- 陽葵 Himariあの女性は誰ですか？Ano josei wa dare desu ka?Who is that woman?
- 陽太 Yota新しい社員だと思います。Atarashii shain da to omoimasu.I think she is a new employee.
- 陽葵 Himariとても親切そうな女性ですね。Totemo shinsetsu souna josei desu ne.She seems like a very kind woman.
- 陽太 Yotaそうですね。後で挨拶しましょう。Sou desu ne. Ato de aisatsu shimashou.True. Let's greet her later.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “woman” translations and entries 女の人, 女, 女性, 女人, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 女, 女の人, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
