The Meaning of onna no hito [女の人] In Japanese

女の人
おんなのひと
Romaji: onna no hito N5

What does 女の人 mean?

Translation and Meaning

woman, female person

Definition

What does 女の人 mean? It refers to an adult woman, used as a neutral, everyday designation for a female person when gender is known or relevant.

Type

noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Informal/neutral reference to a woman in conversation and descriptive writing
  • Not suitable for very formal contexts where 女性 or 婦人 would be preferred
  • Applies to adult women; not used for girls or nonbinary people

Etymology

Phonetic evolution The term uses kun readings for the kanji: 女 = onna, 人 = hito, linked by の as a genitive connector; pronunciation remains onna no hito in modern Japanese with no major historical sound shifts.

Composition

  • 女: female, woman
  • の: genitive/connector
  • 人: person

Usage

Used in speech and general writing to refer to a woman when the gender is known or relevant; common in everyday conversation and neutral descriptions; for formal contexts, the synonyms 女性 or 婦人 may be preferred.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture a woman (女) and a person (人) joined by の like a bridge, reminding you that this term literally means a woman who is a person.

Variations

  • 女性 (じょせい, josei) — formal, common for adult women
  • 婦人 (ふじん, fujin) — formal/old-fashioned; often seen in newspapers and official contexts
  • おんなのひと is the kana rendering of the same term

Example Phrases

  • 道で女の人に道案内を頼んだ、彼女は親切だった。
    Michi de onna no hito ni dōanai o tanonda, kanojo wa shinsetsu datta.
    I asked a woman for directions on the street, and she was kind.
    Lista:
    • 道で (michi de) – on the street
    • 女の人に (onna no hito ni) – to a woman
    • 道案内を (dōanai o) – directions
    • 頼んだ (tanonda) – asked
    • 彼女は (kanojo wa) – she
    • 親切だった (shinsetsu datta) – was kind
    Core grammar: に marks the indirect object; here 「女の人に」 indicates who was asked for directions.
女の人