Onyomi: サイ · Kunyomi: つま · Meanings: spouse, wife
Kanji for spouse, wife
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Find visually similar kanji, commonly confused characters, related meanings, and useful words connected to 妻.
The kanji 妻 combines the woman radical 女 at the bottom with a component on top showing hair tied up. In ancient times, the tied hair symbolized an adult woman who is married, reflecting social status and responsibility in the household. Together, the kanji paints the image of a married woman, emphasizing her role and presence within the family. Over time, 妻 came to specifically mean “wife.”
A woman (女) with her hair tied up — representing a married woman, a wife.
Imagine a woman (女) with her hair tied neatly, symbolizing her role as a wife. That’s 妻 — the kanji for wife.
| Word | Reading | Meaning | Meta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 妻 | つま | wife | common JLPT-N4 Noun |
| 妻 | つま | my dear, dear, honey | Noun |
| 端 | つま | edge, tip, end | JLPT-N4 Noun |
| 妻 | さい | one's wife | Noun |
| 側女 | そばめ | mistress, kept woman, concubine | Noun |
| 雌 | め | female | Noun, used as a prefix, Noun, used as a suffix |
| 夫婦 | ふうふ | married couple, husband and wife, man and wife | common JLPT-N3 Noun |
| 女神 | めがみ | goddess | common Noun |
| 妻子 | さいし | wife and children | common Noun |
| 細君 | さいくん | one's wife | Noun |