老婦人(ろうふじん)

A respectful, somewhat literary term for an elderly woman. Commonly found in novels, news reports, and formal descriptions. Carries more dignity than casual terms like おばあさん.

Common collocations

• 一人(ひとり)の老婦人(ろうふじん): an elderly woman (narrative style)
• 上品(じょうひん)な老婦人(ろうふじん): an elegant elderly woman
• 老婦人(ろうふじん)が語(かた)る: an elderly woman tells/recounts

Similar words

• おばあさん: grandmother, old woman — casual and warm; the everyday word
• 老女(ろうじょ): old woman — literary but less polite than 老婦人(ろうふじん)
• 老紳士(ろうしんし): elderly gentleman — the male counterpart with a similarly dignified tone
• ご婦人(ふじん): lady — polite term for a woman of any age, often middle-aged or older

Register

Formal and literary. Appears in novels, newspaper articles, and polite descriptions. Not typically used in casual conversation.

Etymology

Composed of 老(ろう) (old, elderly) + 婦人(ふじん) (woman, lady).