娘
彼女の娘は五歳です。
Her daughter is five years old.
a female child of one's parents
私の娘は医者です。
My daughter is a doctor.
彼は娘を一人と息子を二人持っています。
He has one daughter and two sons.
Used for one's own female child. For someone else's daughter, use お嬢さん (ojōsan) in polite contexts.
young woman
駅前で若い娘が立っていた。
A young woman was standing in front of the station.
Can sound slightly old-fashioned or rural when referring to young women outside the family context.
Pro Tip
Politeness levels
When talking about someone else's daughter, use お嬢さん (ojōsan) to sound polite. 娘 is neutral when referring to your own daughter or in casual contexts.
Gold Rule
Family terms
For your own daughter: 娘. For someone else's daughter: お嬢さん. For a young woman in general: 女の子 (onna no ko) or 若い娘 (wakai musume).
Word Origin
From Old Japanese *mune* (daughter), possibly related to *musu* (to give birth) in proto-Japonic. The kanji 娘 was originally written 女児 (woman + child) before being simplified to the current form.
Usage Notes
In formal or polite contexts, お嬢さん (ojōsan) is preferred when referring to someone else's daughter. 娘 alone is typically used for one's own daughter or in informal speech.