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彼女
kanojo
girlfriend
彼女は私の彼女です
She is my girlfriend.
informal
A female romantic partner or girlfriend
彼女とデートに行きたい
I want to go on a date with my girlfriend.
Commonly used in casual conversation to refer to a girlfriend.
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Gender-Specific Usage
'彼女' specifically refers to a female partner. For a male partner, use '彼氏' (kareshi).
Gold Rule
Romantic Context
'彼女' is most commonly used in romantic contexts. Avoid using it to refer to female friends unless the context is very clear.
Word Origin
From 彼女 (kanojo), a compound of 彼 (kare, 'he') and 女 (jo, 'woman'), meaning 'his woman' or 'girlfriend'.
Usage Notes
In modern usage, '彼女' is often used to refer to a girlfriend, but it can also be used to refer to a female friend in some contexts. In formal or written contexts, '恋人' (koibito) may be preferred.
Word Breakdown
彼
he
root女
woman
root和英辞典