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道Nihongo Path
妻

妻·wife

On-yomi
サイ
Kun-yomi
つま

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

8 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
妻つま(my) wife
夫妻ふさいhusband and wife, Mr and Mrs
妻子さいしwife and children
稲妻いなずまa flash of lightning

Example sentences

  1. 妻と二人で旅行に行きました。

    つまとふたりでりょこうにいきました。

    My wife and I went on a trip together.

  2. 妻は今、買い物に出かけています。

    つまはいま、かいものにでかけています。

    My wife is out shopping at the moment.

  3. 田中夫妻は来月で結婚十年になります。

    たなかふさいはらいげつでけっこんじゅうねんになります。

    Mr and Mrs Tanaka will have been married ten years next month.

Common mistakes

  • 妻 is how you refer to your own wife; someone else's wife is 奥さん
  • Reading 夫妻 as ふつま — it is ふさい

Memory aid

Picture it

Hairpin-like strokes above 女 — the wife with her hair pinned up, running the household.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

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What does the kanji 妻 mean?