1.
girl, young girl
A female child or young teenager, typically referring to girls roughly between ages 7 and 17.
少女たちが公園で遊んでいる。
The girls are playing in the park.
少女漫画は女性に人気がある。
Shojo manga is popular with women.
少女漫画 refers to manga targeted at young female readers
彼女は少女のころからピアノを習っていた。
She has been learning piano since she was a young girl.
その少女は毎日図書館で本を読んでいた。
That girl read books at the library every day.
少女時代の彼女はとても静かで、いつも一人で本を読んでいた。今は明るい性格になった。
She was very quiet as a girl and always read books alone. Now she has a bright personality.
少女 refers to a young girl, typically between about 7 and 17 years old. It is the female counterpart of 少年 (boy). The word has a somewhat literary or formal tone compared to 女の子.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 女の子: girl (casual, any age)
- 少女: girl (slightly formal/literary, ~7-17)
- 女児: female child (formal/official, used in news and statistics)
- 乙女: maiden (poetic/literary)
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 少女時代: girlhood, one's days as a girl
- 少女漫画: shojo manga (manga for young female readers)
- 美少女: beautiful girl
- 少女小説: novel for young girls
REGISTER:
More common in written language, news, and titles than in everyday conversation, where 女の子 is preferred.