女

女 U+5973, 女 ← 奲[U+5972] CJK Unified Ideographs 奴 →[U+5974] ⼥ U+2F25, ⼥ ← ⼤[U+2F24] Kangxi Radicals ⼦ →[U+2F26] 女 U+F981, 女 ← 呂[U+F980] CJK Compatibility Ideographs 廬 →[U+F982] ㊛ U+329B, ㊛ ← ㊚[U+329A] Enclosed CJK Letters and Months ㊜ →[U+329C] Stroke order Stroke order

女 (Kangxi radical 38, 女+0, 3 strokes, Cangjie input 女 (V), four-corner 40400, composition ⿻𡿨丆(GJKV) or ⿻𡿨𠂇(HT))

1. Kangxi radical #38, ⼥.

• Appendix:Chinese radical/女, 奻, 㚣, 姦
• 汝, 肗, 籹, 釹(钕), 邚, 䎟, 䶯, 㣽, 安, 娄, 耍, 要, 蒆, 䆯, 䶒, 囡
• 佞, 㓂, 宼, 窛, 桜, 珱, 䋝, 䧪, 巕

• め (Hiragana character derived from man’yōgana)
• メ (Katakana character derived from man’yōgana)

• Kangxi Dictionary: page 254, character 22
• Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 6036
• Dae Jaweon: page 516, character 19
• Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1023, character 23
• Unihan data for U+5973

• Unihan data for U+F981

Pictogram (象形): a woman with folded arms kneeling or standing. In the modern form, the pictogram is reversed from the Oracle Bone script form, and is “facing” toward the right edge of the character: the enclosed area (bounded on the right side by the downward-curving second stroke of the modern form) is the remnant of the figure’s right arm, while the figure’s left arm has disappeared.

Graphically cognate to 母 (mǔ, “mother”) and 毋, which has developed similarly, but also includes dots for distinction. Compare Egyptian 𓁐.

Similar but unrelated to 卩, in which the person kneeling has unspecified gender.

trad. 女 simp. # 女 alternative forms 𠨰

From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *naq (“woman”). Compare Tibetan ཉག་མོ (nyag mo, “woman”) (Hill, 2019).

女

1. woman; (only of humans in Standard Chinese) female Coordinate term: 男 (nán) 女人 ― nǚrén ― woman 女的 ― nǚde ― woman; female 一個女演員／一个女演员 ― yī ge nǚ yǎnyuán ― an actress 一個女士兵／一个女士兵 ― yī ge nǚ shìbīng ― a female soldier 請問女衛生間在哪兒？ [MSC, trad.]请问女卫生间在哪儿？ [MSC, simp.]Qǐngwèn nǚ wèishēngjiān zài nǎr? [Pinyin]Excuse me, where is the ladies’ lavatory?; Excuse me, where is the women’s bathroom? See also: 母, 雌
2. daughter (Classifier: 個／个 c; 粒 c) 次女 ― cì’nǚ ― second daughter 佢係我個女。 [Cantonese, trad.]佢系我个女。 [Cantonese, simp.]keoi5 hai6 ngo5 go3 neoi5-2 [Jyutping]She’s my daughter.
3. (Cantonese) girl; young female (Classifier: 條／条 c; 班 c) 靚女／靓女 [Cantonese] ― leng3 neoi5-2 [Jyutping] ― pretty girl
4. (Cantonese, Teochew, slang) girlfriend (Classifier: 條／条 c; 粒 mn-t) Alternative form: (Teochew) 妞
   • 想起昨天我许粒妞　骗我感情诈我个钱 [Teochew, simp.]想起昨天我許粒妞　騙我感情詐我個錢 [Teochew, trad.](please add an English translation of this quotation)
5. (Cantonese, card games) queen (Classifier: 張／张 c; 隻／只 c)
6. (astronomy) the Girl (a Chinese constellation near Aquarius, 10th of the Twenty-Eight Mansions and part of the Black Turtle)

Exoactive derivation of etymology 1 (Schuessler, 2007).

女

1. (obsolete) to give one’s daughter in marriage; to give as wife
   • 宋雍氏女於鄭莊公，曰雍姞。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]宋雍氏女于郑庄公，曰雍姞。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]From: Commentary of Zuo, c. 4th century BCESòng Yōngshì nǜ yú Zhèng Zhuānggōng, yuē Yōng Jí. [Pinyin]The officer Yong of Song had married off a daughter, called Yong Ji [雍姞; Yong was the father’s clan name (氏); Ji the surname (姓)] to duke Zhuang of Zheng.
   • 殷辛伐有蘇，有蘇氏以妲己女焉。 [Classical Chinese, trad.]殷辛伐有苏，有苏氏以妲己女焉。 [Classical Chinese, simp.]From: Guoyu, circa 4th century BCEYīnxīn fá yǒusū, yǒusū shì yǐ dájǐ nǜ yān. [Pinyin]Xin of Yin attacked Yousu; Lord Yousu married off his daughter Da Ji [to him].

For pronunciation and definitions of 女 – see 汝 (“you”).(This character is a variant form of 汝).

• “女”, in 漢語多功能字庫 (Multi-function Chinese Character Database)‎[7], 香港中文大學 (the Chinese University of Hong Kong), 2014-

(First grade kyōiku kanji)

1. woman
2. daughter

• Go-on: にょ (nyo, Jōyō)
• Kan-on: じょ (jo, Jōyō)←ぢよ (dyo, historical)
• Kan’yō-on: にょう (nyō, Jōyō †)
• Kun: おんな (onna, 女, Jōyō)←をんな (wonna, 女, historical)←をみな (womina, 女, ancient)、め (me, 女, Jōyō)、おうな (ōna, 女)←をうな (wouna, 女, historical)、おな (ona, 女)←をな (wona, 女, historical)、おなあ (onā, 女)←をなあ (wonaa, 女, historical)、むすめ (musume, 女)、なんじ (nanji, 女)←なんぢ (nandi, 女, historical)
• Nanori: おな (ona)、た (ta)、つき (tsuki)、な (na)

Kanji in this term 女 おんなGrade: 1 kun’yomi

⟨womi1na⟩ → */womʲina/ → /womʉna/ → /wonːa/ → /onːa/

Shift from Old Japanese womina → omina. See the 女 (omina) entry for further details.

Now one of the standard Japanese words for “a woman”.

• (Tokyo) おんな [òńnáꜜ] (Odaka – [3])[2][3][1]
• IPA(key): [õ̞nːa̠]
• Audio:(file)

• (Kyōto) お​んな [óꜜǹnà] (Kōki)[1]

女(おんな) • (onna) ←をんな (wonna)?

1. a female person Antonym: 男 (otoko)
2. (specifically) a woman, an adult female Antonym: 男 (otoko)
3. a wife Synonyms: 妻 (tsuma), 女房 (nyōbō)
4. a mistress, concubine Synonyms: 愛人 (aijin), 情婦 (jōfu), 妾 (mekake)
5. a maid Synonyms: 下女 (gejo), 女中 (jochū)
6. a prostitute Synonyms: 淫売婦 (inbaifu), 女郎 (jorō), 売春婦 (baishunfu), 遊女 (yūjo)
7. a woman’s appearance or quality
8. a feminine object
9. the object in a pairing which is smaller, gentler, etc. than the other
10. (vulgar) girlfriend 人(ひと)の女(おんな)に手(て)を出(だ)すな！Hito no onna ni te o dasuna!Don’t you fuckin’ dare touch someone else’s girl!

• Often used with 人 (hito) in the phrase 女の人 (onna no hito) to avoid sounding too blunt, or with 方 (kata) in the phrase 女の方 (onna no kata) to show politeness.

• 女(おんな)になる (onna ni naru)
• 女(おんな)を上(あ)げる (onna o ageru)

Kanji in this term 女 おみなGrade: 1 kun’yomi

⟨womi1na⟩ → */womʲina/ → /omina/

From Old Japanese.[4]

The initial /wo/ expressed “small, youth” and contrasted with /o/ “grown, old” (as in 嫗 (omina, “old woman”)), while the medial /mi/ is cognate with 女 (me, “female, woman”, see below). According to Frellesvig (2010), proto-Japonic /e/ became Old Japanese [je] in final position and [i] elsewhere; analogous with PJ /o/, which became OJ [wo] in final position and [u] elsewhere (though PJ /i/ and /u/ also existed, compare Old Japanese 火’s two readings /po/ & /pu/ in Western & Eastern Old Japanese, respectively (Vovin, 2017)).

• (Tokyo) おみな [òmíná] (Heiban – [0])[3][5]
• (Tokyo) おみな [óꜜmìnà] (Atamadaka – [1])[3][5]
• IPA(key): [o̞mʲina̠]

• (Kyōto) お​みな [óꜜmìnà] (Kōki)[5]

女(おみな) • (omina) ←をみな (womina)?

1. (archaic) a young woman
2. (archaic) a woman

女(おみな) • (Omina) ←をみな (Womina)?

1. a female given name

Kanji in this term 女 めGrade: 1 kun’yomi

⟨me1⟩ → */mʲe/ → /me/

From Old Japanese,[6] from Proto-Japonic *mia.

Appears to be distinct from 目 (⟨me2⟩ → me, “eye”).

• (wife): 妻
• (female): 雌, 牝

• (Tokyo) め [méꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])[2][7]
• IPA(key): [me̞]

• (Kyōto) めー [méé] (Kōki – [0])[7]

女(め) • (me)

1. a woman Antonym: 男 (o) 女(め)神(がみ)megamigoddess
2. a wife
   • c. 890, Taketori Monogatari (page 3)[8] …女(め)の女(をんな)にあづけてやしなはす。…me no onna ni azukete yashinawasu.(please add an English translation of this example)

   Synonym: 妻 (tsuma) Antonym: 男 (o)

3. a female Antonym: 男, 牡, 雄 (o)

• Used more in compounds than on its own.

Kanji in this term 女 おうなGrade: 1 kun’yomi Alternative spelling 嬢

⟨womi1na⟩ → */womʲina/ → /womʉna/ → /woũna/ → /woːna/ → /oːna/

Variant shift from Old Japanese womina → omina (see above).

女(おうな) • (ōna) ←をうな (wouna)?

1. (archaic) a young woman

Kanji in this term 女 おなGrade: 1 kun’yomi

/wonːa/ → /wona/ → /ona/

Shift from onna (see above).

女(おな) • (ona) ←をな (wona)?

1. (obsolete) a young woman

Kanji in this term 女 おなあGrade: 1 kun’yomi

/wona/ → /wonaː/ → /onaː/

Long-pronounced form of ona (see above).

女(おなあ) • (onā) ←をなあ (wonaa)?

1. (obsolete) a young woman

Kanji in this term 女 じょGrade: 1 kan’on

/dɨo/ → /d͡ʑo/

From Middle Chinese 女 (MC nrjoX|nrjoH).

• (Tokyo) じょ [jóꜜ] (Atamadaka – [1])[9]
• IPA(key): [d͡ʑo̞]

女(じょ) • (jo) ←ぢよ (dyo)?

1. a woman, especially an actress or a prostitute

女(じょ) • (Jo) ←ぢよ (Dyo)?

1. (Chinese astronomy) the Girl, one of the Twenty-Eight Mansions Synonyms: うるき星 (Urukiboshi), 女宿 (Joshuku) Hypernyms: 二十八宿, 玄武

女(じょ) • (-jo) ←ぢよ (-dyo)?

1. (historical) suffixed to names of female figures in the Edo period

Kanji in this term 女 なんじGrade: 1 kun’yomi For pronunciation and definitions of 女 – see the following entry. 【汝なんじ】J [pronoun] (archaic) second-person singular pronoun: you, thou (This term, 女, is an alternative spelling (rare, kanbun) of the above term.)

• 雌(めす) (mesu)
• 嫗(おんな) (onna)
• くノ一(いち) (kunoichi)

• “女”, in 漢字ぺディア [Kanjipedia]‎[8] (in Japanese), The Japan Kanji Aptitude Testing Foundation, 2015-2026

From Middle Chinese 女 (MC nrjoX|nrjoH).

女 (eumhun 계집 녀 (gyejip nyeo), word-initial (South Korea) 계집 여 (gyejip yeo))

1. hanja form? of 녀/여 (“female; woman”)

From Middle Chinese 女 / 汝 (MC nyoX).

女 (eumhun 너 여 (neo yeo))

1. (literary Chinese) hanja form? of 여 (“you”)

• 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典. [9]

女: Hán Việt readings: nữ (尼(ni)呂(lữ)切(thiết))[1][2][3][4][5], nhữ (忍(nhẫn)與(dữ)切(thiết))[1][5] 女: Nôm readings: nợ[1][2][3][6][4][5][7], nữa[1][2][3][4][5][7], nữ[1][2][6][4][7], nỡ[1][2][3][6], nớ[3][6][4][5], nhỡ[1][3][6], lỡ[2][3][6], nửa[1][3], nhớ[1], nự[3]

1. chữ Hán form of nữ (“female”)
2. chữ Nôm form of nhớ (“to remember, to miss”)
3. chữ Nôm form of nỡ (“to be willing”)
4. chữ Nôm form of nữa (“furthermore”)
5. chữ Nôm form of nợ (“to owe; debt”)
6. chữ Nôm form of nửa (“half”)