How to say "maiden" in Japanese

• 処女しょじょCommon
  nounCovers 'maiden' in the sense of a virgin, a young woman regarded as sexually inexperienced; it is the commonest of these words and the natural choice when chastity is the point.
• 乙女おとめJLPT N1approx.
  nounTakes 'maiden' as a young girl or young lady, with a romantic image of girlhood; less common than 処女, it is a fit for narrative or descriptive writing rather than plain statement.
• 乙女子おとめご
  nounA poetical word for a girl or maiden; less common and at home in verse, it is seldom the word you want in ordinary writing — 乙女 or 処女 is the safer pick.
• おぼこ
  nounCovers 'virgin; maiden', but being less common and usually written in kana alone it is seldom the word you want; for the virgin sense, 処女 is the word to reach for.

Use 処女 for the virgin sense of 'maiden', 乙女 for a young girl or young lady, 乙女子 only in poetical style, and 「おぼこ」 seldom, as it is a less common word usually written in kana.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 処女しょじょvirgin (usu. female)
• 乙女おとめ(young) girl
• 乙女子おとめごgirl
• おぼこvirgin