処女

See also: 處女 and 处女

Japanese

Kanji in this term
処	女
しょ Grade: 6	じょ Grade: 1
on'yomi

Alternative spelling
處女 (kyūjitai)

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 處女 (MC tsyhoX|tsyhoH nrjoX|nrjoH). /syodyo/ > /syozyo/.

Originally referred in Japanese to a woman in a house ([家(いえ)に]処(い)る女(おんな) ie ni iru onna), more specifically to an unmarried woman.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) しょじょ [shóꜜjò] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [ɕo̞ʑo̞]

Noun

処(しょ)女(じょ) • (shojo) ^{←しょぢょ (syodyo)?}

1. unmarried woman
2. female virgin (female who has not had sexual experience)

   30歳(さんじゅっさい)の処女(しょじょ)

   sanjussai no shojo

   30-year-old virgin

3. woman's virginity

   彼氏(かれし)に処女(しょじょ)をあげる

   kareshi ni shojo o ageru

   give her virginity to her boyfriend

   処女(しょじょ)を奪(うば)う

   shojo o ubau

   to take a girl's virginity

   処女(しょじょ)を失(うしな)う

   shojo o ushinau

   to lose one's virginity

4. (in compound words) one's first foray into; maiden

   処女(しょじょ)作(さく)

   shojosaku

   one's first work as an author, artist, etc.

Synonyms

• (virgin): 生娘(きむすめ) (kimusume)

Derived terms

• 処女作(しょじょさく) (shojosaku)
• 処女性(しょじょせい) (shojosei)

 

See also

• 童貞(どうてい) (dōtei): male virgin
• (not to be confused with) 少女(しょうじょ) (shōjo): a young girl