also: クウニャン
noun
girl; young unmarried woman
Chinese loanword (from gūniang) used especially for Chinese girls or in Chinese contexts. Not a general Japanese word for 'girl'.
from Chinese gūniang
彼は中国で出会った姑娘と結婚した。
He married a Chinese girl he met in China.
この小説の主人公は美しい姑娘だ。
The protagonist of this novel is a beautiful young woman.
Katakana spelling, common for loanwords.
Alternate reading with long vowel; less common.
Borrowed from Chinese 姑娘 (gūniang), meaning 'girl' or 'young unmarried woman'.