How to say "mistress" in Japanese

• 主婦しゅふJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounCovers only the 'mistress of the house' sense: the woman who runs a household — a housewife or homemaker. It is not used for a lover.
  主婦しゅふは節約せつやくに努つとめるべきである。↗

  A housewife should be economical.
• 愛人あいじんCommon
  nounUse this for the romantic sense: a lover, and as 'mistress' it typically implies an affair — a woman involved with a man outside marriage.
  ここだけの話はなしだが、彼かれには愛人あいじんがいる。↗

  Between ourselves, he keeps a mistress.
• 妾めかけCommon
  nounA dated term for a kept woman or concubine — a woman supported by a man. It is seldom the word for a mistress in ordinary use; you will meet it mainly in historical settings.
• 女将おかみCommon
  nounCovers 'mistress' only in the sense of the female head of an establishment — the proprietress or landlady of a traditional inn, restaurant, or shop. It never refers to a lover.
• 女おんなJLPT N5approx.Common
  nounRefers to a woman a man is involved with — 'his woman' — and can mean girlfriend, lover, or mistress depending on context; it sounds blunt and possessive.

Choose 愛人 for a lover or affair partner, 主婦 for the mistress of a household, 女将 for the female head of an inn or shop, 妾 for a dated kept woman, and 女 for a blunt 'his woman'.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 主婦しゅふhousewife
• 愛人あいじんlover
• 妾めかけmistress
• 女将おかみproprietress (of a traditional Japanese inn, restaurant, or shop)
• そばめmistress
• 妾しょうmistress
• ミストレスmistress
• 二号さんにごうさんmistress
• 囲い者かこいものmistress
• 御寮人ごりょうにんmistress
• 女主人おんなしゅじんmistress (of the house)
• 囲い女かこいおんなmistress
• 情婦じょうふlover
• 情人じょうじんlover
• 不倫相手ふりんあいてperson with whom one is having an illicit love affair
• 抱え主かかえぬしemployer (esp. of a geisha, prostitute, etc.)
• 女流名人じょりゅうめいじんfemale professional
• 侍妾じしょうconcubine
• 女おんなfemale lover
• 二号にごうmistress
• 手掛けてかけmistress
• 女王様じょおうさまmistress (in S&M)
• お手つきおてつきmaking a mistress of a servant
• 御上おかみproprietress
• 上かみwife
• 囲いかこいmistress