Explore 妻 in family words and learn each reading in context.
The idea
妻 has 8 strokes; follow the linked diagram. 妻（つま） means wife; 夫妻（ふさい） refers to a married couple. Learn the readings with the complete words.
| Japanese word | Reading | Example in context |
|---|---|---|
| 妻 | つま | My wife likes coffee. |
| 夫妻 | ふさい | The couple live in Kyoto. |
Examples
- 私の妻はコーヒーが好きです。My wife likes coffee.
- 妻と図書館へ行きました。I went to the library with my wife.
- 妻が夕食を作りました。My wife made dinner.
- 妻は病院で働いています。My wife works at a hospital.
- その夫妻は京都に住んでいます。The couple live in Kyoto.
- 夫妻は一緒に旅行しました。The couple travelled together.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Japanese device voice is available. You can still read the text and use the linked listening resources.
Watch out
妻 commonly refers to one’s own wife when speaking to others. For someone else’s wife, 奥さん is a common respectful choice. 夫妻 refers to both spouses.
Try it yourself
Write the reading of 妻 in hiragana.
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つま
妻 is read つま: 私の妻 means my wife.
Write the reading of 夫妻 in hiragana.
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ふさい
夫妻 is read ふさい and refers to a married couple.
Choose the missing kanji: 夫＿（ふさい）［妻／母］.
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妻
妻 completes 夫妻（ふさい）, a word for a married couple.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Japanese sentences where available. We keep your score.
Write the reading of 妻 in hiragana.
Write the reading of 夫妻 in hiragana.
Choose the missing kanji: 夫＿（ふさい）［妻／母］.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
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Write 妻 using the diagram, then cover the table and read 妻 and 夫妻. Make a sentence with one of them.