婦人

• Reading: ふじん
• Romaji: fujin
• Kanji breakdown: 婦 (fu) — woman, wife; 人 (jin/hito) — person
• Pronunciation: /ɸɯ.dʑiɴ/

Meaning

Woman; lady. A polite, somewhat formal term for an adult woman.

A noun meaning adult woman, similar to 女性 (josei) but more traditional and formal. Common compounds: 婦人服 (fujinfuku, women's clothing), 婦人科 (fujinka, gynaecology), 婦人警官 (fujin keikan, policewoman — older term). While still used in compound words and signage, standalone use is becoming less common in favour of the more neutral 女性.

Examples

1. デパートの三階は婦人服売り場です。 The third floor of the department store is the women's clothing section.
2. 婦人科の予約を取りたいのですが。 I'd like to make an appointment with the gynecology department.
3. その婦人はとても上品な方だった。 That lady was a very refined person.

Usage Guide

Context: department stores, medical, formal writing

Tone: polite

Origin & History

The kanji 婦 combines 女 (woman) and 帚 (broom), originally depicting a woman with a broom — reflecting ancient domestic roles. Modern usage retains the meaning of adult woman without the domestic connotation.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal