女朋友 (nǚ péngyou) means 'girlfriend' — a female romantic partner. It contrasts with 朋友 (péngyou, 'friend'), which is non-romantic, and with 男朋友 (nán péngyou, 'boyfriend'), the male counterpart. The more formal term 对象 (duìxiàng) can mean boyfriend or girlfriend but often implies a serious, long-term partner.