寡婦・寡・孀|かふkafu[1]atamadaka (head-high)
やもめyamome[0]heiban (flat)やまめyamameok
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Which spelling to use
寡婦寡婦 is the most common written form of this word and the recommended choice for beginners. It is written entirely in kanji.
寡寡 is a less common written form of 寡婦. Beginners should generally choose 寡 instead only when reproducing a form they have encountered.
孀孀 is a rarely used written form of 寡婦, so you will seldom see it. Beginners should choose 寡婦 instead.
Definitions
- nounwidow; divorced woman not remarried; unmarried woman
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym未亡人みぼうじんWrittenWritten prose. Focuses on a woman whose husband has died and who has not remarried; common, but tinged with the old-fashioned nuance of 「未亡」.
- Synonym後家ごけCasualColloquial. Stresses the woman living on in widowhood; old-fashioned and at times derogatory, and more casual than 「寡婦」.
- RelatedウィドーNeutralA loanword. Focuses on a woman whose husband predeceased her; neutral in tone but not often used.
- Related女やもめおんなやもめCasualColloquial. Focuses on a woman who has lost her husband; carries an old-fashioned flavor.
Use 「寡婦」 for a woman widowed or divorced and not remarried; it leans legal/administrative, as in 「寡婦控除」. For a widow by death, 「未亡人」 is the usual written choice; 「後家」 and 「女やもめ」 are old-fashioned colloquialisms (「後家」 can be derogatory), 「ウィドー」 a rare loanword.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
