Meaning
妊 means pregnancy — the state of carrying a developing child. Despite its N1 classification, this kanji turns up constantly in daily life: on train priority-seat signs, hospital intake forms, and public health pamphlets. The vocabulary it builds belongs to medicine and public health, but these are words Japanese speakers encounter all the time.
妊 is built from two components. The left side is the radical 女 (おんな), which marks dozens of kanji tied to women and female experience. The right side is 壬 (みずのえ), the ninth of the Ten Heavenly Stems in the traditional East Asian calendar. 壬 carries a secondary sense of "bearing something forward" — an image that fits pregnancy well. Put the two pieces together and the character almost defines itself.
妊 belongs to a class called keisei moji (形声文字) — characters where one part signals meaning and another signals pronunciation. 女 points to the domain of women and femininity; 壬 contributes the phonetic reading ニン. Most kanji work this way, and spotting the pattern makes unfamiliar characters easier to take apart.
妊 has 7 strokes and sits in the Joyo list at grade 8 — secondary education. It skips the elementary curriculum, which makes sense: students encounter it once they begin reading health education texts, newspaper articles, and medical information.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
妊 has one On'yomi: ニン (nin), tracing back to its Middle Chinese pronunciation. You won't hear it in isolation — it only appears inside Sino-Japanese compounds (jukugo), almost always in medical or official language. Learn the compounds and the reading falls into place.
Key compound words using On'yomi ニン:
- 妊娠 (ninshin) — pregnancy; the standard term in both medical and everyday contexts
- 妊婦 (ninpu) — a pregnant woman; found on maternity marks, train priority-seat stickers, and hospital intake forms
- 妊活 (ninkatsu) — trying to conceive; a modern compound blending 妊 (pregnancy) and 活 (effort/activity), common in health media and everyday conversation since the 2010s
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
みごも(る) (migomo-ru) is the Kun'yomi — a native Japanese verb meaning "to become pregnant." It is the Yamato word for pregnancy, predating the arrival of Chinese script in Japan. Today みごもる sounds literary or poetic; most speakers say 妊娠する (ninshin suru) or the casual 赤ちゃんができる. You'll find the kun reading in period dramas, classical literature, and formal written prose.
Key words using Kun'yomi みごも(る):
- 身籠る (migomoru) — to become pregnant; used in literary narration and traditional storytelling
- 身籠った女性 (migomotta josei) — a woman who has become pregnant; found in classical or formal literary writing
Common Words & Compounds
妊 appears within a tight cluster of vocabulary, almost entirely related to pregnancy, reproduction, and women's health. Below are the most important compound words grouped by theme.
Core Pregnancy Vocabulary:
- 妊娠 (ninshin) — pregnancy; the go-to term in both medical and everyday contexts
- 妊婦 (ninpu) — pregnant woman; seen on maternity marks, priority seat signs, and hospital forms
- 妊娠中 (ninshin-chuu) — during pregnancy; the full gestational period
- 妊娠初期 (ninshin shoki) — early pregnancy; roughly the first trimester (weeks 1–15)
- 妊娠後期 (ninshin kooki) — late pregnancy; the third trimester, approaching birth
Medical and Clinical Terms:
- 妊娠検査 (ninshin kensa) — pregnancy test; at-home urine tests or clinical blood tests
- 妊娠糖尿病 (ninshin tounyoubyou) — gestational diabetes; elevated blood sugar that develops during pregnancy
- 妊娠高血圧 (ninshin kouketsuatsu) — pregnancy-induced hypertension; a serious complication requiring close monitoring
- 不妊 (funin) — infertility; inability to conceive naturally
- 不妊治療 (funin chiryou) — fertility treatment; includes IVF and hormone therapy
Contraception and Family Planning:
- 避妊 (hinin) — contraception; birth control
- 避妊薬 (hinin-yaku) — the contraceptive pill; oral birth control
- 妊活 (ninkatsu) — conscious efforts to get pregnant; "trying to conceive" as an active daily pursuit
Example Sentences
彼女は妊娠していることを知った。
Kanojo wa ninshin shite iru koto wo shitta.
She found out that she was pregnant.
妊婦には優先席を譲ってください。
Ninpu ni wa yuusen-seki wo yuzutte kudasai.
Please give up your priority seat for pregnant women.
妊娠初期はつわりがひどくて、食事が十分に取れなかった。
Ninshin shoki wa tsuwari ga hidokute, shokuji ga juubun ni torenakatta.
During early pregnancy, the morning sickness was so bad that eating properly was out of the question.
医師は妊娠検査の結果を確認した。
Ishi wa ninshin kensa no kekka wo kakunin shita.
The doctor checked the pregnancy test results.
夫婦は不妊治療を始めることにした。
Fuufu wa funin chiryou wo hajimeru koto ni shita.
The couple decided to start fertility treatment.
避妊については、パートナーとよく話し合うべきだ。
Hinin ni tsuite wa, paatonaa to yoku hanashi au beki da.
Contraception is something you and your partner need to talk through properly.
妊娠中のアルコール摂取は赤ちゃんに悪影響を与える。
Ninshin-chuu no arukooru sesshu wa akachan ni aku-eikyou wo ataeru.
Drinking alcohol during pregnancy harms the baby.
最近、妊活を始めた友人が増えてきた。
Saikin, ninkatsu wo hajimeta yuujin ga fuete kita.
Lately, more and more friends of mine have started trying to conceive.
妊娠糖尿病と診断された後、彼女は食事の管理を徹底した。
Ninshin tounyoubyou to shindan sareta ato, kanojo wa shokuji no kanri wo tettei shita.
After her gestational diabetes diagnosis, she was strict about managing her diet.
Memory Tip
Split 妊 into its two pieces. Left: 女 (woman). Right: 壬, which you can picture as a figure leaning forward with weight out in front. A woman bearing weight out front — a growing baby. For the reading ニン (nin), think "nine": pregnancy runs roughly nine months. Woman (女) + nine months (ニン) = 妊.