Josei is the Japanese word for ‘woman’ or ‘female’, explained

What does “josei” mean in Japanese?

There are some homophones in Japanese, but native speakers say “josei” normally to mean ‘woman’ or ‘female’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word well as it is often used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain it in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “josei” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!

Contents

• Definition and meanings of “josei”
• Josei in kanji
  • Example #1: how to say “woman” in Japanese
  • Example #2: another usage of “josei”
• Summary

Definition and meanings of “josei”

Let me start with the definition and meanings of “josei”.

• josei – 女性 (じょせい) : a noun meaning ‘woman’ or ‘female’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.

Native speakers use this noun to refer to a woman or women in Japanese. So, its usage is very similar to those of the English words.

The definition and meanings are simple and clear, I think. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji expression in detail.

Josei in kanji

The kanji expression of “josei” consists of the following two characters:

• 女 : a kanji character widely used to mean ‘woman’ or ‘female’ in Japanese.
• 性 : a kanji character used to mean ‘gender’ or ‘sex’ in Japanese.

From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “josei” literally means ‘woman gender’. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meanings, but still very close, I think. This kanji concept can be considered as “woman” or “female”.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about meanings of words they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “josei” through the detailed kanji check above.

Then, let me explain how to use “josei” through the example sentences below.

Example #1: how to say “woman” in Japanese

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is mainly used by boys and young males.
• wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku” to make the subject word in the sentence.
• ano – あの : a determiner used before a noun referring to a thing not close to the speaker. In the example, this is used before “josei” to say “that woman” in Japanese.
• wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “ano josei” to make the object in the sentence.
• shit – 知っ (しっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “shiru”, which means ‘to know’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
• te – て : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its te form. In the example, this is used after “shit” to make its te form, “shit te”. Verbs need to be changed to their te forms to be connected with “iru”.
• iru – いる : an auxiliary verb used to express the continuity of the action described by the preceding verb. In the example, this is used after the te-formed verb, “shit te”, to express the continuity of its action, ‘to know’.

This is a typical usage of “josei”. In this example, it works as a part of the noun phrase, “ano josei”, which means ‘that woman’ in Japanese. When we want to say “woman” or “women” in Japanese, anyway, this noun is a very good option.

Example #2: another usage of “josei”

Below are the new words used in the example sentence.

• no – の : a case particle used to join two nouns. Normally, the first one can work as a modifier to describe the second. In the example, this is used to join “ano josei” and “namae”. The formed phrase literally means ‘the name of that woman’ in Japanese. Word orders in Japanese and English are different, but the role of this case particle is similar to that of the English preposition, “of”.
• namae – 名前 (なまえ) : a noun meaning ‘name’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural.
• ringo – りんご : a noun meaning ‘apple’ in Japanese. This can also work as a female name in the Japanese language.
• desu – です : an auxiliary verb used after a noun or adjective to make it polite. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese desu form. In the example, this is used after “ringo” to make it sound polite.

This is another typical usage of “josei”. In this example, it works again together with “ano” to say “that woman” in Japanese.

Summary

In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meanings of “josei” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.

• josei – 女性 (じょせい) : a noun meaning ‘woman’ or ‘female’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. These two kanji characters literally mean ‘woman gender’. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meanings, but still very close, I think. The kanji concept can be considered as “woman” or “female”.

Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.