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長女 (choujo) Japanese meaning: eldest daughter | Kotomora

長ちょう女じょ

ちょ

う

じょ

Common word›JLPTN3›Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

eldest daughter; first-born daughter

Refers to the oldest daughter in a family. In families with only one daughter, she may also be called 長女 even though she is the only daughter.

彼かの女じょは三さん人にん姉し妹まいの長ちょう女じょです。

She is the eldest of three sisters.

長ちょう女じょは来らい年ねん大だい学がくに入にゅう学がくします。

My eldest daughter will enter university next year.

Usage patterns

〈数かず〉人姉妹の長女にんきょうだいのちょうじょthe eldest daughter among X sisters
彼かの女じょは三人姉妹さんにんきょうだいの長ちょう女じょです。
She is the eldest daughter of three sisters.
長ちょう女じょとしてin one's role/capacity as the eldest daughter
長ちょう女じょとして家か族ぞくを支ささえなければならない。
As the eldest daughter, she has to support the family.

Kanji

長long, leader, superior
女woman, female

Related words

一いち女じょ
長女 is the everyday, standard word for 'eldest daughter', while 一女 is a more formal term used mainly in written or news contexts.

Opposites

長ちょう男なんN3
長女 is the eldest daughter of a family, while 長男 is the eldest son, the male counterpart in birth order.
次じ女じょN3
長女 refers to the eldest daughter of a family, while 次女 specifically means the second-born daughter.

Don't confuse with

次じ女じょN3
長女 means the first-born daughter, whereas 次女 means the second-born daughter, so learners must track the birth-order kanji carefully.
三さん女じょN3
長女 means the eldest daughter, while 三女 refers specifically to the third daughter, so the two are easily mixed up when talking about birth order.

Counted with

人にん
counter for people

Etymology

Compound of 長 (chō, 'long' or 'eldest') and 女 (jo, 'woman' or 'daughter'). The reading is on'yomi.