How to say "wife" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- nounThe plain, neutral word for a wife; it works for your own wife or anyone else's in ordinary speech and writing, with no politeness or humility built in.
- 夫人ふじんnoun, noun (suffix)Honorific (sonkeigo) language for another person's wife — never your own — and it also serves as the respectful address 'Mrs' or 'Madam', as when naming or greeting a married woman.
- 女房にょうぼうnounCovers 'wife', especially one's own; the word you reach for when talking about your own wife in everyday conversation, rather than for someone else's wife.
- 家内かないnounHumble (kenjougo) language for '(my) wife': it lowers your own wife when you mention her to outsiders, as in business or formal introductions, and is never used of another person's wife.
- 奥様おくさまnounPolite (teineigo) language for another person's wife — 'your wife' or 'his wife' — never your own, and a courteous way to address a married lady, as shop staff or neighbors do.
Choose 「つま」 as the neutral word for any wife; use 家内 humbly of your own wife, 夫人 and 奥様 respectfully or politely of another person's wife, and 女房 when speaking of your own wife.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
- つまwife
- 夫人ふじんwife
- 女房にょうぼうwife (esp. one's own wife)
- 家内かない(my) wife
- 奥様おくさまwife
- 奥さんおくさんwife
- 配偶者はいぐうしゃspouse
- 細君さいくん(one's) wife
- ワイフwife
- 愚妻ぐさいwife
- 太太タイタイwife
- お嫁さんおよめさんwife
- かみさん(one's) wife
- 御新造ごしんぞうwife (esp. of a prominent, recently married man)
- 妻室さいしつwife
- 嫁はんよめはんwife
- 嫁さんよめさんwife
- かかあwife
- 嫁よめwife
- 新造しんぞう(another's) wife (usu. young)
- お母さんおかあさんwife
- 母さんかあさんwife
- 婦女子ふじょしwoman
- 娘子じょうし(another's) wife
- おかあwife
- 北の方きたのかた(legal) wife (of a nobleman)
- 上様うえさま(another person's) wife
- 上かみwife
See also
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
