Meaning
娠 means pregnancy — the state of carrying a child. In modern Japanese it almost never stands alone; its real life is inside 妊娠 (ninshin), the standard term across medical, journalistic, and everyday speech. Know this kanji, and that word is immediately yours.
Structurally, 娠 breaks into two parts. The left side is 女 (onna, "woman"), the semantic anchor that ties the character to the female body. The right side is 辰 (shin / tatsu), the phonetic element that supplies the on'yomi reading シン. 辰 is also the Dragon — fifth of the twelve Chinese zodiac signs and the one most associated with vitality and transformation. That image maps naturally onto what 娠 describes.
娠 was added to the Jōyō kanji list in the 2010 revision and sits at the N1 level of the JLPT. It takes 10 strokes: 3 for 女 and 7 for 辰. In Japan it is normally introduced at the high school level.
娠 is a keisei moji (形声文字): one part carries meaning, the other carries sound. Here 女 grounds the character in the female body while 辰 delivers the シン reading from classical Chinese. This pairing has held across East Asian writing systems — Chinese, Japanese, and Korean — through to the present. Today you'll find 娠 in medical records, public health materials, and ordinary conversation about pregnancy and family planning.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
娠 has one on'yomi: シン (shin), inherited from Middle Chinese. Since the character never appears on its own in modern text, this reading always shows up inside a compound — above all, 妊娠. Lock in シン and the rest of the vocabulary follows naturally.
Key compounds using the シン reading:
- 妊娠 (ninshin) — pregnancy; the state of being pregnant
- 妊娠中 (ninshinchū) — during pregnancy; while pregnant
- 妊娠初期 (ninshin shoki) — early pregnancy; the first trimester
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
娠 has no standard kun'yomi. Characters that came into Japanese through classical Chinese medical texts often work this way — they never acquired a native reading. The same concept in native Japanese is expressed through 孕む (haramu), which uses a different kanji entirely. Among N1 kanji tied to medicine, law, or classical literature, on'yomi-only readings are fairly common.
Common Words & Compounds
In practice, 娠 always travels with 妊. Nearly every compound here grows out of 妊娠 — extend that base and you have the medical vocabulary you need.
Core term:
- 妊娠 (ninshin) — pregnancy
Medical and clinical compounds:
- 妊娠検査 (ninshin kensa) — pregnancy examination; prenatal testing
- 妊娠検査薬 (ninshin kensa yaku) — home pregnancy test kit
- 妊娠高血圧症候群 (ninshin kōketsuatsu shōkōgun) — pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome
- 妊娠糖尿病 (ninshin tōnyōbyō) — gestational diabetes
- 妊娠悪阻 (ninshin oso) — hyperemesis gravidarum; severe morning sickness
Pregnancy stage and duration compounds:
- 妊娠初期 (ninshin shoki) — early pregnancy; first trimester
- 妊娠中期 (ninshin chūki) — mid-pregnancy; second trimester
- 妊娠後期 (ninshin kōki) — late pregnancy; third trimester
- 妊娠中 (ninshinchū) — during pregnancy; while pregnant
Social and situational compounds:
- 妊娠届 (ninshin todoke) — official notification of pregnancy submitted to a municipal office
- 不妊 (funin) — infertility; inability to conceive
- 不妊治療 (funin chiryō) — infertility treatment; fertility treatment
- 避妊 (hinin) — contraception; birth control
Example Sentences
彼女は妊娠していると教えてくれた。
Kanojo wa ninshin shite iru to oshiete kureta.
She told me she was pregnant.
妊娠３ヶ月になったところです。
Ninshin san-kagetsu ni natta tokoro desu.
I've just reached three months.
妊娠初期は体調が変わりやすい。
Ninshin shoki wa taichō ga kawari yasui.
Your body can shift in unexpected ways during early pregnancy.
妊娠検査薬で陽性反応が出た。
Ninshin kensa yaku de yōsei hannō ga deta.
The pregnancy test came back positive.
医者に妊娠を確認してもらった。
Isha ni ninshin wo kakunin shite moratta.
I had the doctor confirm my pregnancy.
妊娠中は栄養バランスに気をつけることが大切だ。
Ninshinchū wa eiyō baransu ni ki wo tsukeru koto ga taisetsu da.
Watching your nutrition is especially important during pregnancy.
不妊治療の末にようやく妊娠できた。
Funin chiryō no sue ni yōyaku ninshin dekita.
After fertility treatments, she finally got pregnant.
妊娠を機に、健康的な生活習慣を始めた。
Ninshin wo ki ni, kenkōteki na seikatsu shūkan wo hajimeta.
Getting pregnant was the push she needed to build healthier habits.
妊娠中の喫煙や飲酒は赤ちゃんに悪影響を与える。
Ninshinchū no kitsuen ya inshu wa akachan ni akueikyō wo ataeru.
Smoking and drinking during pregnancy harm the baby.
妊娠高血圧症候群は適切な管理が必要だ。
Ninshin kōketsuatsu shōkōgun wa tekisetsu na kanri ga hitsuyō da.
Pregnancy-induced hypertension requires careful management.
Memory Tip
娠 pairs 女 (woman) with 辰 (dragon). Picture a woman carrying the full force of a dragon inside her — new life, transformation, raw power. The dragon protects what is most precious; the woman carries it. 女 + 辰 = 妊娠 (ninshin).