后・妃|きさきkisaki[2]nakadaka (mid-high)

1. nounempress (consort); queen (consort)

• Synonym皇后こうごうFormalFormal modern term for the legal wife of an emperor. 「后」 is the older kun-reading name, with a classical literary flavor.
• Synonym皇后陛下こうごうへいかFormalFormal, the highest honorific for the empress, as in news reports; add 「陛下」 after 「皇后」 to address her directly.
• Related王妃おうひFormalFormal term for a king's wife, mostly foreign royalty. 「后」 is the older-style name and can also mean the wife of a prince or lord.
• Related妃ひWrittenWritten word for the wife of the emperor or a royal; on its own it mostly appears in titles like 「〇〇妃」.
• Related妃殿下ひでんかFormalFormal honorific for an imperial consort, as in the old-style 「雅子妃殿下」.
• Related皇妃こうひFormalFormal word for the wife of an emperor; comparatively rare.
• Related王后おうこうWrittenWritten word for a king's consort; rarely used and synonymous with 「王妃」.
• Antonym王おうFormalFormal word for a king or monarch; the opposite of 「后」, which denotes the consort.
• Antonym王様おうさまNeutralNeutral, respectful word for a king; the counterpart of 「后」 for a queen.

「后」 is the old, literary name for the consort of an emperor or lord. In modern formal usage say 「皇后」, or 「皇后陛下」 when addressing her; 「皇妃」 is a rarer formal word for the emperor's wife. For a king's wife, use 「王妃」 (mostly foreign royalty) or the written 「王后」; 「妃」 appears mainly in titles like 「〇〇妃」, and 「妃殿下」 is the honorific. The opposite is 「王」 or 「王様」.

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

1. (きさき) 天皇てんのうの配偶者はいぐうしゃ。皇后こうごう。中宮ちゅうぐうの。また、女御にょうごなどで天皇てんのうの母ははとなった人ひと。律令制りつりょうせいでは特とくに称号しょうごうの第だい一いちとされた。
2. (きさき) 王侯おうこうの妻つま。