Translation guide
In Japanese, the concept of a female police officer is most commonly expressed with the gender-neutral term 警察官 (keisatsukan). There is a specific word for policewoman, 婦人警官 (fujinkeikan), but it is somewhat dated and less common in modern usage. The choice depends on context and whether gender needs to be emphasized.
Referring to a female police officer in a general, neutral way without emphasizing gender.
How to address or get the attention of a female police officer.
When speaking directly to a police officer, you can use the friendly, general term お巡りさん (omawarisan) regardless of gender. Alternatively, simply say すみません (excuse me) to get their attention. There is no need to specify gender in direct address.
お巡りさん、駅はどこですか？
Officer, where is the station?
すみません、交番はどこですか？
Excuse me, where is the police box?
警察官 (keisatsukan) is the standard, gender-neutral term and is appropriate in almost all situations. 女性警察官 (josei keisatsukan) explicitly states the officer is female and is used in formal or news contexts. 婦人警官 (fujinkeikan) is an older term that is falling out of use; it may be encountered in older media but is not recommended for active use.
Japanese often uses gender-neutral terms for professions. Adding 女性 (josei, female) or 男性 (dansei, male) before a job title is a common way to specify gender when necessary, e.g., 女性医師 (female doctor), 男性看護師 (male nurse).
The standard, gender-neutral term for a police officer. It is the most common and natural way to refer to a police officer regardless of gender. Use this unless you specifically need to highlight that the officer is female.
彼女は警察官です。
She is a police officer.
あの警察官に道を聞きました。
I asked that police officer for directions.
Literally 'female police officer'. This is used when you need to specify the gender, such as in news reports or official contexts. It is clear and modern.
女性警察官が増えています。
The number of female police officers is increasing.
An older term specifically meaning 'policewoman'. It is still understood but can sound dated or slightly patronizing. Often replaced by 女性警察官 in modern usage.
婦人警官が交通整理をしていた。
A policewoman was directing traffic.