In Japanese, there are several ways to refer to wife and husband, depending on the situation and the relationship between people. Here are some of the most common ways to refer to wife and husband in Japanese:
- 夫 (otto) - husband (formal)
- 妻 (tsuma) - wife (formal)
- 旦那 (danna) - husband (informal)
- 奥さん (okusan) - wife (informal)
- 主人 (shujin) - husband (formal or informal)
- 家内 (kanai) - wife (formal or informal)
- マイペース (maipēsu) - husband (informal, slang)
- ラブラブ (raburabu) - wife (informal, slang)
- パパ (papa) - father (informal, also used to refer to husband)
- ママ (mama) - mother (informal, also used to refer to wife)
- 家族 (kazoku) - family
- 私たち (watashitachi) – we (used to refer to the couple)
In addition, it is common to use the personal pronouns “私 (watashi)” to refer to oneself and “あなた (anata)” to refer to one's partner, regardless of whether it is a husband or wife. However, it is important to remember that the use of these pronouns may vary by region and situation, so it is always important to be aware of local social conventions.
It is also common to use the titles "sir" and "madam" to refer to the husband and wife more formally. The words "sir" and "madam" in Japanese are "ご主人様 (goshujin-sama)" and "ご夫人様 (gofujin-sama)", respectively.
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How to call your spouse in Japanese?
Maybe you don't know the difference or are unsure which of the listed ways to use. See details about each of them below:
- 夫 (otto) and 妻 (tsuma) are the more formal ways of referring to husband and wife, respectively. They are mainly used in official documents or in formal situations.
- 旦那 (danna) and 奥さん (okusan) are informal ways of referring to husband and wife, mostly used in informal situations, such as between friends or at home.
- 主人 (shujin) and 家内 (kanai) are formal and informal ways of referring to husband and wife, respectively. They are used in both formal and informal situations, depending on the context.
- マイペース (maipēsu) and ラブラブ (raburabu) are informal ways of referring to husband and wife, used mainly between friends or in informal situations, considered slang.
The words to refer to wife and husband can vary according to the age of the people. For example, young people are more likely to use more informal words, while older people may prefer more formal words.
There are other words and expressions for relationships in Japanese. For example, 彼 (kareshi) is used to refer to the boyfriend or fiancé, while 彼女 (Kanojo) is used to refer to the girlfriend or fiancée.
Other related words
Here are some other words that you might find useful when referring to relationships in Japanese:
- 伴侶 (hanryo) – partner (used to refer to any type of partner, romantic or otherwise)
- 恋人 (koibito) – boyfriend/girlfriend (used to refer to romantic partner)
- 結婚 (kekkon) - marriage
- 結婚式 (kekkonshiki) - wedding ceremony
- 婚約 (kon'yaku) - commitment (used to refer to marriage commitment)
- 交際 (kousai) - relationship
- 愛人 (aijin) - lover
