female help; female worker; woman's labor
Refers to women as a workforce or the work done by women, often contrasted with 男手 (male help).
See also: 男手 (おとこで)
During the busy farming season, we are short of female help.
This job is difficult with only female workers.
woman's handwriting
Typically used when distinguishing a woman's handwriting from a man's, or referring to the characteristic style of female writing.
See also: 男手 (おとこで)
This letter is written in a woman's handwriting.
Archaic term for hiragana, historically associated with women's writing. Not used in modern Japanese for the script itself.
See also: 男手 (おとこで)
In the Heian period, hiragana was mainly used by women.
Compound of 女 (woman) and 手 (hand), literally 'woman's hand'. The archaic sense for hiragana reflects the historical association of the script with women's writing in the Heian period.