Meaning

Primary

Woman

Alternative

Female

Word Type

noun

Explanation

When a kanji is alone and doesn't have any okurigana (hiragana attached to the kanji) it's usually going to take the same meaning as the kanji it comes from. So in this case, you know that this word means woman.

But watch out! Using on its own can often come off as blunt and disrespectful, especially in casual chats. We’ll introduce you to neutral equivalents soon!

Reading

おんな
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

When a word is a single kanji with no okurigana (hiragana attached to the kanji) it tends to use a kun'yomi reading. You didn't learn the kun'yomi reading when you learned the kanji itself, so let's use a mnemonic to remember it:

Think about how this woman is onna (おんな) roll. She's winning left, right and center. She's unstoppable. Yep, she's truly onna roll!

Context

Patterns of Use

Common Word Combinations

  • 女どうし

    between women

    女スパイ

    a female spy

    女ともだち

    female friends

Context Sentences

バーに三人の女がいる。

There are three women at the bar.

女のニンジャのことを「九ノ一」という。

Female ninjas are called "kunoichi."

あの女は、とても力のある女スパイだ。

That woman is a very powerful female spy.

Kanji Composition