少しょう女じょ

noun

girl; young lady

Typically refers to a female roughly between 7 and 17 years old. Common in everyday language.

• あの少しょう女じょは毎まい日にち公こう園えんで本ほんを読よんでいる。

  That girl reads a book in the park every day.

• 少しょう女じょたちが楽たのしそうに遊あそんでいる。

  The young girls are playing happily.

noun

female between 17 and 20 (ritsuryō period)

Archaic legal term from the ritsuryō period. Not used in modern Japanese.

• 律りつ令りょう制せいでは、17歳さいから20歳はたちの女じょ性せいを「少しょう女じょ」と呼よんだ。

  Under the ritsuryō system, females between 17 and 20 were called 'shōjo'.