奥様・奥さま|おくさまokusama[1]atamadaka (head-high)

1. nounwife; your wife; his wife; married lady; madam
   奥様おくさまにどうかよろしくお伝つたえください。↗

   Send my greetings to your wife.

• Synonym夫人ふじんFormalFormal word for a distinguished person's wife; also an honorific in 「〇〇夫人」. Written and formal, while 「奥様」 is the everyday polite choice.
• SynonymミセスNeutralLoanword for a married woman, 'Mrs'; often seen in magazines and carrying a fashionable feel.
• Synonym奥さんおくさんNeutralA more casual way to refer to someone's wife than 「奥様」; also used by a husband to speak of his own wife.
• SynonymマダムNeutralLoanword for a lady of standing, also the proprietress of a bar; has a Western flair or nightlife flavor.
• SynonymつまWrittenRead 「さい」, an old humble term for one's own wife, confined to the pre-Meiji era; today say 「妻（つま）」.
• Synonym女房にょうぼうCasualColloquial word for a wife, mainly one's own; also a court lady of old times. Casual in tone.
• Synonym人妻ひとづまNeutralA married woman or another's wife; highlights the fact of being married.
• SynonymワイフCasualColloquial loanword for one's own wife, with a light, casual feel.
• Synonym令室れいしつFormalHonorific for another person's wife, used in letters; more written and formal than 「奥様」.
• Synonym令夫人れいふじんFormalHonorific for another person's wife; written and formal, leaning toward letters and speeches.
• Related貴婦人きふじんNeutralRefers to a lady of high standing or a refined woman; stresses noble elegance, and the person need not be married.
• RelatedレディーNeutralLoanword for a lady; stresses politeness and elegance, and marriage is not a factor.
• RelatedつまWrittenRead 「さい」, an old humble term for one's own wife, confined to the pre-Meiji era; today say 「妻（つま）」.
• Related嫁よめNeutralMeans a bride or daughter-in-law, but colloquially also one's own wife, with a family flavor.
• Related家内かないNeutralHumble term for one's own wife when speaking to outsiders; slightly old-fashioned.
• Related淑女しゅくじょNeutralA woman of modest, graceful bearing; stresses refinement, and she need not be married.
• RelatedおかみさんNeutralThe proprietress of an inn or shop; also a friendly, warm-hearted way to address a married woman.
• RelatedかかあCasualColloquial word for one's own or someone's 'missus', rough yet familiar in tone.
• RelatedかみさんCasualColloquial term for the wife of a merchant or craftsman, also a proprietress.
• Related愚妻ぐさいNeutralHumble word for one's own wife when talking to outsiders; an old-fashioned modesty now rarely used.
• Related刀自とじWrittenWritten honorific for a matron or lady of the house; archaic and rare in modern use.
• Antonym旦那様だんなさまNeutralAntonym: an honorific for a husband or master of a house; pairs with 「奥様」.

Use 「奥様」 as the polite way to speak of another person's wife, as in 「奥様はお元気ですか」. Go casual with 「奥さん」, formal with 「夫人」, and use 「令室」 in letters. For your own wife say 「妻」 or 「家内」; 「旦那様」 is its counterpart for 'husband'.

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

1. 妻つまの丁寧ていねいな言い方いいかた。