Japanese word

女房

Pronunciation

Romajinyōbō

Meaning

  • nounwife

Example

女房と一緒に買い物へ行きます。nyō bō to is sho ni ka i mono e i ki ma su

I go shopping with my wife.

Illustration for 女房 (wife)

More examples

大きな買い物は、女房に相談してから決めます。ō ki na ka i mono wa nyō bō ni sō dan shi te ka ra ki me ma su

I consult my wife before making a major purchase.

Core concept

Presents a wife as the woman who lives together with her husband as his married partner.

Common phrases

  • 女房に相談するnyō bō ni sō dan su ru

    consult one's wife

Similar words

妻tsuma: A neutral word for the woman to whom a man is married.
奥さんokusan: A polite and familiar word for someone else's wife.
家内kanai: A man's own wife, referred to modestly in a traditional style.

Definition in Japanese

結婚した女性を、夫が自分の妻として親しみを込めて呼ぶ語。kek kon shi ta jo sei o otto ga ji bun no tsuma to shi te shita shi mi o ko me te yo bu go

Word origin

The word 女房 (nyōbō) joins 女 (jo, "woman") with 房 (bō, "chamber"); it originally related to rooms for women and came to denote the women connected with them, eventually meaning a wife.

Usage tips

  • Although 女房 (nyōbō) means wife, its familiar, slightly old-fashioned tone makes 妻 (tsuma) the more neutral choice in many everyday contexts.

Word lists with this word