The Meaning of jō [嬢] In Japanese

嬢
じょう
Romaji: jō N5

What does 嬢 mean?

Translation and Meaning

young woman, maiden, lady, daughter, mistress (historical)

Definition

A young woman; 嬢 denotes a young woman or girl, typically used as a polite or formal term when referring to another person’s daughter or a young lady, especially in compounds like お嬢さん and お嬢様.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Young woman or maiden, primarily used in polite references to a young lady
  • Historical nuance as a noble daughter or woman of rank in literature
  • In fiction and media, used to label or address a refined female character

Usage

Used in formal or respectful contexts; often appears in compound terms addressing someone else’s daughter or a young lady; less common in casual speech, and more frequent in writing, fiction, or historical contexts.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: link the sound jō to the idea of a polite, reserved young woman and the common pairing with お嬢さん in everyday speech or fiction; visualize a courteous address to a poised young lady to recall its nuance.

Variations

  • 令嬢 (れいじょう, reijō) – noble lady
  • お嬢 (おじょう, ojou) – casual address to a young woman
  • 娘さん (むすめさん, musume-san) – daughter, polite reference to someone else’s daughter

Example Phrases

  • お嬢さん、こちらの席へどうぞ、ゆっくりおくつろぎください。
    Ojōsan, kochira no seki e dōzo, yukkuri okutsurogi kudasai.
    Miss, please take a seat here and make yourself comfortable.
    Lista:
    • お嬢さん (Ojōsan) – Miss
    • こちらの席へ (kochira no seki e) – to this seat
    • どうぞ (dōzo) – please / go ahead
    • ゆっくりおくつろぎください (yukkuri okutsurogi kudasai) – please take your time and relax
    The term 「お嬢さん」 is an honorific address for a young woman, adding politeness when speaking to someone else’s daughter or a customer; it conveys respect and a polite distance.
  • 駅の改札前でお嬢が私に丁寧に話しかけた。
    Eki no kaisatsu-mae de ojō ga watashi ni teinei ni hanashikaketa.
    In front of the station’s ticket gate, the young lady spoke to me politely.
    Lista:
    • 駅の改札前で (Eki no kaisatsu-mae de) – in front of the station’s ticket gate
    • お嬢 (ojō) – young lady
    • が (ga) – subject marker
    • 私 (watashi) – I
    • に (ni) – to
    • 丁寧に (teinei ni) – politely
    • 話しかけた (hanashikaketa) – spoke to
    In this sentence, 「お嬢」 stands for ‘young lady’ and acts as the subject marked by が.
嬢