女王
じょおう · joou · JLPT N3 · noun
queen
👑 女王 = woman + king
女 (jo) means woman and 王 (ou) means king, so a queen is literally a woman king. The reading stretches into a long o sound: jo-ou. The same 王 appears in 王様 (ousama, king) and 王子 (ouji, prince).
女 — pictograph of a kneeling woman
女 is a pictograph originating in oracle bone script, depicting a person kneeling with arms crossed in front, a posture associated with women in ancient China. Over time the form was simplified and squared off into the modern character. Its core meaning of 'woman' or 'female' has remained stable for over three thousand years.
王 — three horizontal strokes 三 + one vertical stroke connecting heaven, earth, and humanity
Originally a pictograph of a large ceremonial axe, a symbol of royal authority in ancient China. The three horizontal lines were later reinterpreted philosophically as heaven, earth, and humanity, with the king as the one who unites them. The meaning shifted from 'axe' to 'king' or 'ruler'.