How to say "prostitute" in Japanese

• 遊女ゆうじょCommon
  nounAn old, literary word for the women who entertained and sold sex in the pleasure quarters of premodern Japan; 'harlot' is among its English equivalents, and it belongs to historical writing rather than everyday speech.
• 女郎じょろうCommon
  nounUsed for prostitutes especially of the Edo period, so it turns up in historical fiction and accounts of the pleasure quarters; outside such settings it is seldom the word you want.
• 娼婦しょうふCommon
  nounThe plain, direct word for a prostitute as such, without the romance of the pleasure-quarter terms; it fits neutral description or discussion of prostitution as a social problem.
  ある少女しょうじょの職業しょくぎょうは娼婦しょうふだったが、彼女かのじょは自分じぶんのおばあちゃんにこのことを知しられたくなかった。↗

  A certain girl was a prostitute but didn't want her grandma to know.
• 売春婦ばいしゅんふCommon
  nounLiterally a woman who sells sex, this stresses the act of prostitution itself; it is at home in news reports and legal or social discussion rather than literary description.
• 傾城けいせいCommon
  nounPrimarily 'courtesan', only secondarily 'prostitute': an old, elevated word for the famed beauties of the pleasure quarters (literally one who could topple a castle), seldom the word for a prostitute plain and simple.

For pleasure-quarter women of the past choose 遊女, 女郎 or 傾城 (the last really 'courtesan'); for prostitution as a plain fact or social issue choose 娼婦, and 売春婦 when the emphasis is on selling sex.

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

• 遊女ゆうじょprostitute
• 女郎じょろうprostitute (esp. Edo period)
• 娼婦しょうふprostitute
• 売春婦ばいしゅんふprostitute
• 売女ばいたprostitute
• 売女ばいじょprostitute
• プロスティテュートprostitute
• 街娼がいしょうprostitute
• 娼妓しょうぎprostitute
• 売笑婦ばいしょうふprostitute
• 醜業婦しゅうぎょうふprostitute
• 賎業婦せんぎょうふprostitute
• パンパンガールprostitute (esp. one consorting with occupation soldiers after WWII)
• 淫売婦いんばいふprostitute
• 暗者くらものprostitute
• パン助パンすけprostitute
• 淫売いんばいprostitution
• 伎女ぎじょwoman entertainer
• 一夜妻いちやづまtemporary consort
• 辻君つじぎみstreetwalker
• 売色ばいしょくprostitution
• 商売女しょうばいおんなwoman working in the nightlife business (bar or nightclub hostess, geisha, etc.)
• だるまprostitute
• 傾城けいせいcourtesan
• ぱんぱんprostitute (catering to Occupation soldiers in Japan after WWII)
• 淫婦いんぷprostitute
• 白拍子しらびょうしprostitute
• 傾国けいこくcourtesan
• 其れ者それしゃgeisha