How to say "woman" in Japanese

• 女性じょせいJLPT N4approx.Common
  no-adjectiveThe neutral, polite word for a woman; it is the safe default in writing, announcements, and polite speech whenever you simply mean 'woman' and are unsure which word to pick.
  その少女しょうじょは大おおきくなってすらりとした女性じょせいになった。↗

  The girl has grown into a slender woman.
• 女おんなJLPT N5approx.Common
  noun, noun (prefix)The plain word for a woman or for the female sex. Used of a person directly it can sound blunt or dismissive, so 女性 is the safer choice in polite contexts.
  彼かれが戻もどってきた時ときには、女おんなは歩み去あゆみさっていた。↗

  When he came back, the woman had walked off.
• 女子じょしJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounReally means 'girl'; it covers girls and only by extension young women, and it is not the general word for an adult woman — for that sense it is marginal.
  このクラスには１５人にんの男子だんしと２８人にんの女子じょしがいる。↗

  This class consists of 15 boys and 28 girls.
• 婦人ふじんJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounA polite word for an adult woman, 'lady'; it is dated and can be sensitive, so for an ordinary 'woman' it is seldom the word you want.
  あなたに面会めんかいしたいという婦人ふじんがいます。↗

  There's a lady asking for you.
• ウーマンJLPT N2approx.Common
  nounThe English loanword. It is seldom the word you want for a plain 'woman'; it appears mainly within set expressions and coinages rather than on its own.

For a neutral, polite 'woman' use 女性; 女 is the plain word and can sound blunt; 女子 really means 'girl'; 婦人 is a dated, sensitive 'lady'; 「ウーマン」 appears mainly in set expressions.

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

• 女性じょせいwoman
• 女おんなwoman
• 女子じょしwoman
• 婦人ふじんwoman
• ウーマンwoman
• 女流じょりゅうwoman (writer, artist, aviator, etc.)
• 女人にょにんwoman
• 婦女ふじょwoman
• 女の人おんなのひとwoman
• 人物じんぶつperson
• 女じょwoman
• 女おみなwoman
• 女子おなごwoman
• フラウwoman
• なおんwoman
• まんさんwoman
• 成人女性せいじんじょせいadult female
• マダムmadam
• 婦女子ふじょしwoman
• くノ一くのいちwoman
• 娘子じょうしwoman
• 婦ふwoman
• Ｗダブリューwoman
• 女賊じょぞくwoman (who distracts men's search for truth)
• たれwoman