女 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
女 means “woman, female”. It is written with 3 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: ジョ (jo), ニョ (nyo). Kun’yomi: おんな (onna), め (me).
How to write 女 (stroke order)
Write 女 in 3 strokes, following the numbers. Each small box adds one stroke; the red line is the stroke to draw.
- 1
- 2
- 3
General rules: top before bottom, left before right, horizontal before a vertical that crosses it, and a closing bottom stroke last. Writing in the right order makes handwriting readable and helps you count strokes when you look a kanji up.
Practice writing 女
Trace 女 over the faint model with your finger or mouse, following the stroke order above. Turn the model off to write it from memory.
Readings of 女
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | ジョ (jo)ニョ (nyo) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | おんな (onna)め (me) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 女 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 女
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 女の人 | おんなのひと onnanohito | woman | |
| 女の子 | おんなのこ onnanoko | girl |
女の人 (onnanohito) means “woman”. Also in this word: 人
女の子 (onnanoko) means “girl”. Also in this word: 子
FAQ
What does 女 mean in Japanese?
女 means “woman, female”. Common words with it are 女の人 (onnanohito, “woman”) and 女の子 (onnanoko, “girl”).
How many strokes does 女 have?
女 has 3 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 3.
How do you read 女?
The on’yomi is ジョ (jo), ニョ (nyo) and the kun’yomi is おんな (onna), め (me). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 女 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 女 is kanji number 69 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.