The kanji 姫 (pronounced *hime*) primarily means "princess" or "lady" of noble birth. It carries connotations of elegance, refinement, and high social standing. It can also refer to a beautiful young woman or a female figure of importance.

・On-yomi (音読み): *ki* (this reading is less common) ・Kun-yomi (訓読み): *hime*

⚫︎姫君 (himegimi) Translation: Princess; young lady of noble birth. ⚫︎姫様 (hime-sama) Translation: Princess (used with respect). ⚫︎白雪姫 (Shirayuki-hime) Translation: Snow White (literally "White Snow Princess").

The kanji 姫 is a *形声文字 (keisei moji)*, a phono-semantic compound. The left side of the character is 女 (onna), meaning "woman" or "female". The right side is 隹 (sui), which originally depicted a short-tailed bird and was used as a phonetic component. This combination suggests "a woman like a bird" or a woman who is delicate and elegant, reflecting the character's meaning of "princess" or "lady". The bird suggests beauty and grace.