noun
Dated term for a live-in female domestic servant. Now considered sensitive and often replaced by お手伝いさん or other euphemisms.
See also: お手伝いさん
昔の大きな家には女中が何人もいた。
In old large houses, there were several maidservants.
noun
hostess (in a ryokan); waitress (in a traditional restaurant)
Used for female staff in traditional inns or restaurants, especially those wearing kimono. Still encountered in historical or traditional contexts, but can feel old-fashioned.
旅館の女中が部屋まで案内してくれた。
The ryokan hostess showed us to our room.
noun
Archaic term for a lady-in-waiting or female attendant at a noble court.
平安時代の女中は、貴族の身の回りの世話をした。
Court ladies in the Heian period attended to the personal needs of the nobility.
noun
Archaic honorific term for a woman of status, similar to 'lady'. Not used in modern Japanese.
古文書には、女中方への贈り物の記録が残っている。
Old documents record gifts presented to the ladies.