Japanese Conversation · Level 44
90 words
Japanese word
奥様
Pronunciation
Romajiokusama
Meaning
- nounwife
Example
山田さんの奥様は先生です。yama da sa n no oku sama wa sen sei de su
Mr. Yamada's wife is a teacher.
More examples
ご来店の際は、奥様もぜひご一緒にお越しください。go rai ten no sai wa oku sama mo ze hi go is sho ni o ko shi ku da sa i
Please bring your wife with you when you visit us.
Core concept
Presents a married woman as a respected person, either as someone else's wife or as the recipient of a polite address.
Common phrases
奥様のお名前oku sama no o na mae
your wife's name
奥様のご家族oku sama no go ka zoku
your wife's family
奥様とお話しするoku sama to o hana shi su ru
speak with your wife
Similar words
奥さんokusan: A familiar and less formal term for another person's wife or a married woman addressed politely.
妻tsuma: A term for one's own wife, used in neutral everyday speech.
家内kanai: A humble term for one's own wife, traditionally used when speaking to others.
Definition in Japanese
他人の妻を敬意を込めて指す語。既婚女性への丁寧な呼びかけにも使う。ta nin no tsuma o kei i o ko me te sa su go ki kon jo sei e no tei nei na yo bi ka ke ni mo tsuka u
Word origin
奥様 (okusama) is formed from 奥 (oku, "inner") and 様 (sama, "a respectful title"); the first element reflects the traditional association of a wife with the inner part of a home.
Usage tips
- In service conversations, 奥様 (okusama) can sound politely formal when staff refer to a customer's wife.
Other meanings
- madamnoun