女優

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: It is read じょゆう. 女 contributes female and 優 an actor, forming a word for a female performer in drama.
• Basic usage: It names a woman acting in film or theater; the example describes conveying a character's sadness through expression alone.
  • その女優は静かな表情だけで、登場人物の悲しみを伝えた。

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A gender-specific term and a broader one
  • 女優 explicitly identifies a woman, while 俳優 can refer to an actor without specifying gender.