女じょ丈じょう夫ふ

also: じょじょうぶ

じょ

う

ふ

Meanings

Refers to a woman of exceptional courage, strength of character, or heroic spirit. Often used in literary or formal contexts to praise a woman's fortitude.

彼かの女じょはまさに女じょ丈じょう夫ふと呼よぶにふさわしい人じん物ぶつだ。
She is truly a person worthy of being called a heroine.
戦せん場じょうで負ふ傷しょう者しゃを救すくったその女じょ丈じょう夫ふの話はなしは今いまも語かたり継つがれている。
The story of that brave woman who rescued the wounded on the battlefield is still told today.

Kanji

女woman, female
丈length, ten shaku, measure
夫husband, man

Related words

ヒロイン
ヒロイン is a more common, modern loanword for 'heroine', often used in stories or movies. 女丈夫 carries a stronger nuance of moral courage and is more literary.
烈れつ女じょ
烈女 also means a woman of strong character, but often emphasizes fierce loyalty or chastity, especially in historical contexts. 女丈夫 focuses more on bravery and spiritedness.

Built from

女じょ+丈夫ますらお

Written forms

女丈夫
- じょじょうふ
  Standard kanji spelling; the reading じょじょうふ is more common than じょじょうぶ.
- じょじょうぶ
  Alternate reading; less common and may be considered non-standard by some speakers.
じょじょうぶ

Etymology

Compound of 女 (woman) and 丈夫 (strong man, hero). The word 丈夫 originally meant a man of strong build and character; 女丈夫 extends this to a woman with similar heroic qualities.