Japanese word

老女

Pronunciation

Romajirōjo

Meaning

  • nounelderly woman

Example

公園で老女が犬を見ていました。kō en de rō jo ga inu o mi te i ma shi ta

An elderly woman was watching a dog in the park.

Illustration for 老女 (elderly woman)

More examples

駅で老女に席を譲りました。eki de rō jo ni seki o yuzu ri ma shi ta

I gave up my seat for an elderly woman at the station.

Core concept

Presents a woman as notably advanced in age, with age rather than an action or role as the main focus.

Common phrases

  • 老女を見かけるrō jo o mi ka ke ru

    see an elderly woman

  • 老女に話しかけるrō jo ni hana shi ka ke ru

    speak to an elderly woman

  • 老女の話を聞くrō jo no hanashi o ki ku

    listen to an elderly woman

Similar words

老婦人rōfujin: A formal and respectful term for an elderly woman.
おばあさんobāsan: A common respectful term for an older woman or a grandmother.
老婆rōba: A term for an old woman that can sound blunt, negative, or literary.

Definition in Japanese

高齢の女性。kō rei no jo sei

Word origin

老女 (rōjo) is a compound of 老 (rō, "old") and 女 (jo, "woman"), and its reading follows the Sino-Japanese readings of these characters.

Usage tips

  • Although 老女 (rōjo) can mean "elderly woman," its tone is more formal or literary than the wording normally used in relaxed conversation.

Other meanings

  • old womannoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word