Meaning

Primary

Girl

Alternative

Young Girl

Word Type

noun

Explanation

A little woman is a girl.

少女 is a relatively formal word that's often used in writing to describe a young girl, usually between childhood and adolescence (or between the ages of about five and eighteen).

Reading

しょうじょ
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

This is a jukugo word, which usually means on'yomi readings from the kanji. If you know the readings of your kanji you'll know how to read this as well.

Context

Patterns of Use

Common Word Combinations

  • 少女のすがた

    the figure of a girl

    少女のかお

    the face of a girl

    少女の目

    the eyes of the girl

Context Sentences

三人の少女が川にいた。

Three girls were at the river.

おすすめの本のジャンルは、少女マンガです。

The book genre I recommend is girl's manga.

少女のようなスマイルの四十才だ。

She's a forty-year-old with a smile like a young a girl.

Kanji Composition