Women and femininity with 女
女 represents women, girls, and, more broadly, the “female” aspect of the male-female dichotomy.
Etymology
This kanji is a pictogram of a kneeling woman. The curved form preserves the image of the body in a seated or bent posture.
Women and Femininity
女子 (Girl)
女子 refers to a woman or a young girl.
It combines 女 (female) with 子 (child) to show a female child.
On a nighttime walk, Hamaguchi sees Hokujou casually dressed and wearing glasses. She’s fine with Hamaguchi seeing her like this, as they’ve known each other for a long time, but she tells him not to tell their classmates. At school the next morning…
- 高尾:
- 「おい 昨日浜口が、メガネ女子と夜に会ってたらしいぞ！」
- “Hey, I heard Hamaguchi was hanging out with a girl in glasses last night!”
- 生徒Ａ:
- 「見た目子供っぽかったって聞いたぞ。」
- “I heard she looked kind of childish.”
- 生徒Ｂ:
- 「後輩か何かか、浜口。」
- “Is she a junior or something, Hamaguchi?”
- 浜口:
- 「い… いやー…」
- “Uh... well...”
女性 (Woman)
女性 generally refers to an adult female.
It combines 女 (woman) with 性 (sex) to show the female sex.
During a hide-and-seek game at the park, Ayumi hides in a car trunk and falls asleep. She wakes to find the car moving and discovers a bag of money, a slimy saw, and what seems like a severed head. Conan, tracking her via their Detective Boys badges, prepares to pursue on his electric skateboard. Genta and Mitsuhiko join him on it, but Conan urges them to stay behind due to the danger.
- 元太:
- 「歩美が危ない目にあってんのに、じっとしてられっかよ！！」
- “Ayumi is in danger, so how can I just stand by and do nothing?”
- 光彦:
- 「そうですよ！！ 女性をお守りするのは男の義務ですからね！！」
- “That's right! It's a man's duty to protect women!”
魔女 (Witch)
魔女 is a woman who uses supernatural powers (such as sorcery or magic) to bring misfortune upon people or society, or who exercises such powers.
It combines 魔 (magic) with 女 (woman) to show a magical woman.
In order to make money to survive and continue her path of becoming a mage, Eve takes on a request to defeat a fanged lynx that has been attacking a merchant in the forest. She attempts to use her new magick staff against the beast, but no magick materializes from it.
- イブ:
- 「魔女なのに 魔法出ない」
- “Even though I'm a mage, magick won't come out.”
- ネム:
- 「こら 気を散らすな」
- “Hey now, don't lose focus!”
王女 (Princess)
王女 refers to the daughter of a king, or more broadly, to any woman of royal descent.
It combines 王 (king) with 女 (woman) to show a female child of a king.
Following the theft of the Mirror of Queen Rosa, Sawatari writes an article for the school paper accusing Saint Tail. As Asuka Jr. demands proof from Sawatari, a notification appears from Saint Tail, announcing her intent to steal the stolen mirror. Later, Asuka Jr. goes to Sawatari to learn about the mirror’s backstory.
- 佐渡:
- 「そのむかしローザ王女は街の鏡職人の若者と恋におちたんだ」
- “Long ago, Princess Rosa fell in love with a young mirror maker from the town.”
女神 (Goddess)
女神 refers to a deity in the form of a woman. While the term originally referred to deities such as those in Greek mythology, it has come to be used to describe “a woman of unparalleled beauty” or “an object of admiration”.
It combines 女 (woman) with 神 (god) to show a female deity.
After accidentally dialing the Goddess Technical Help Line, Kei’ichi finds himself face-to-face with a Goddess offering him a wish. After a brief conversation, Kei-ichi flippantly makes a wish.
- 螢一:
- 「君のような女神にずっとそばにいてほしい」
- “I want a Goddess like you to always be by my side.”