女房
にょうぼう
wife (one's own, informal)
By Nihongo PathUpdated
Examples
女房に怒られた。
にょうぼうにおこられた。
The wife told me off.
女房の手は店員さんより一回り小さい。
にょうぼうのてはてんいんさんよりひとまわりちいさい。
My wife's hands are a size smaller than the shop assistant's.
女房と子供のために働いている。
にょうぼうとこどものためにはたらいている。
I work for my wife and kids.
Common patterns
- うちの女房
- my wife (casual)
- 女房孝行
- being good to one's wife
- 恐妻家の女房
- the wife who wears the trousers
Memory tip
Only a man says this, only about his own wife, and it sounds old-fashioned and a bit rough. Use 妻 in neutral speech and 奥さん for someone else's wife — 女房 about another man's wife would be rude.
Kanji in this word
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What does 女房 mean?