看護婦(かんごふ)

看護婦(かんごふ) is a traditional term specifically for a female nurse. The kanji 婦(ふ) means 'woman.'

Usage

Since 2002, the official professional title was unified to 看護師(かんごし) (gender-neutral 'nurse'). 看護婦(かんごふ) is now considered dated but still appears in:

• Older books and media
• Casual conversation, especially among older speakers
• Historical contexts

The suffix さん is typically added when addressing or referring to nurses: 看護婦(かんごふ)さん, 看護師(かんごし)さん.

Related words

• 看護師(かんごし): nurse (current official term, gender-neutral)
• 看護士(かんごし): male nurse (old term, also replaced by 看護師(かんごし))
• 准看護師(じゅんかんごし): licensed practical nurse
• 看護(かんご): nursing (the act of caring for patients)