Wife in Different Languages
Discover 'Wife' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word wife holds a significant place in our lives and cultures, representing the bond of marriage and partnership. This word has been used in various languages and cultures, each with its unique translation and cultural context. The English word 'wife' originates from the Old English 'wif,' meaning 'woman' or 'female servant.' Historically, a wife was considered a man's property, but times have changed, and the modern interpretation of a wife is that of an equal partner in a marriage.
Understanding the translation of 'wife' in different languages can provide insight into the cultural significance of marriage and the role of women in various societies. For instance, in Spanish, 'wife' is 'esposa,' which stems from the Latin 'sponsare,' meaning 'to promise or pledge.' In German, 'wife' is 'Ehefrau,' which translates to 'marriage partner.' Meanwhile, in Japanese, 'wife' is 'tsuma,' which originally meant 'wife of a noble,' reflecting the historical class divisions in Japan.
Discover the many translations of the word 'wife' and explore the fascinating cultural contexts that come with it.
Wife
Wife in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vrou | ||
| The word "vrou" can also refer to a woman who is old or has a certain status. | |||
| Amharic | ሚስት | ||
| The word | |||
| Hausa | matar | ||
| In some Hausa dialects, it (matar) can also refer to a female slave. | |||
| Igbo | nwunye | ||
| The Igbo word | |||
| Malagasy | vady | ||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | mkazi | ||
| Shona | mukadzi | ||
| Somali | xaas | ||
| Xaas can also mean 'female' or 'woman' in general. | |||
| Sesotho | mosali | ||
| Swahili | mke | ||
| "Mke" in Swahili is also a term of respect for an older or married woman. | |||
| Xhosa | umfazi | ||
| "Umfazi" is also used to refer to adult females and women in general. | |||
| Yoruba | iyawo | ||
| "Iyawo" can also refer to a newly married person, regardless of gender, or to a person who has recently undergone an important initiation rite. | |||
| Zulu | unkosikazi | ||
| The word 'unkosikazi' also means 'lady' in Zulu and carries connotations of respect and authority. | |||
| Bambara | furumuso | ||
| Ewe | srɔ̃ nyᴐnu | ||
| Kinyarwanda | umugore | ||
| Lingala | mwasi | ||
| Luganda | mukyaala | ||
| Sepedi | mosadi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | yere | ||
Wife in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | زوجة | ||
| The word 'زوجة' ('wife') in Arabic derives from 'زوج' ('pair') and implies a bond between two individuals. | |||
| Hebrew | אשה | ||
| The word "אשה" also means "woman" and it can trace its roots to a Semitic root meaning "to be weak". | |||
| Pashto | ښځه | ||
| The word "ښځه" may originally come from an Old Iranian language and also means "sister". | |||
| Arabic | زوجة | ||
| The word 'زوجة' ('wife') in Arabic derives from 'زوج' ('pair') and implies a bond between two individuals. | |||
Wife in Western European Languages
| Albanian | gruaja | ||
| The Albanian word "gruaja" originally meant "female" and is related to the word "grua" (girl). | |||
| Basque | emaztea | ||
| The Basque word "emaztea" derives from the Proto-Basque "*emazte", meaning "woman of the house" | |||
| Catalan | dona | ||
| The Catalan word 'dona' is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *de- (to give), implying the idea of a woman's role as a caregiver and nurturer. | |||
| Croatian | žena | ||
| The word 'žena' originally meant 'woman', and the word for 'husband' was 'muž', later becoming a common noun. | |||
| Danish | kone | ||
| The Danish word "kone" shares the same origin as the English "queen" but has a more mundane modern-day meaning. | |||
| Dutch | vrouw | ||
| The Dutch word "vrouw" originally meant "lady" and was only later used to refer to a married woman. | |||
| English | wife | ||
| The word 'wife' originates from the Old English word 'wīf', meaning 'woman' or 'female'. | |||
| French | épouse | ||
| The word "épouse" is derived from the Latin word "sponsa", meaning "bride", and can also refer to a spouse of any gender in a non-marital setting. | |||
| Frisian | frou | ||
| The Frisian word | |||
| Galician | muller | ||
| The word "muller" can also be used to refer to a woman who grinds corn in a hand mill. | |||
| German | ehefrau | ||
| "Ehefrau" literally translates to "marriage woman," referring to a woman in relation to her husband. | |||
| Icelandic | kona | ||
| The word "kona" can also refer to a female animal, such as a mare or a cow. | |||
| Irish | bean chéile | ||
| The term | |||
| Italian | moglie | ||
| "Moglie" comes from the Latin word "mulier", meaning "woman". | |||
| Luxembourgish | fra | ||
| The origin of the Luxembourgish word "Fra" for "wife" is possibly connected to the word "Frau" from Old High German. | |||
| Maltese | mara | ||
| The word "mara" can also refer to a "sister-in-law" or "stepmother". | |||
| Norwegian | kone | ||
| The word "kone" is also used to refer to a woman who is getting married, or to a woman who is already married. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | esposa | ||
| The word "esposa" is derived from the Latin word "sponsa" meaning "betrothed" or "bride-to-be." | |||
| Scots Gaelic | bean | ||
| Bean in Scots Gaelic also refers to a female deer or bird. | |||
| Spanish | esposa | ||
| The Spanish word "esposa" comes from a Latin term "sponsus," which originally referred to a male spouse or betrothed. | |||
| Swedish | fru | ||
| Welsh | gwraig | ||
Wife in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | жонка | ||
| The word "жонка" also means "she-wolf". | |||
| Bosnian | supruga | ||
| The Bosnian word | |||
| Bulgarian | съпруга | ||
| The Bulgarian word "съпруга" originates from the Proto-Slavic word *sъprьga, which could refer to both a wife or a husband. | |||
| Czech | manželka | ||
| The word "manželka" (wife) is derived from "muž" (man) and the suffix "-ka" (diminutive), indicating a lower or less important status for women. | |||
| Estonian | naine | ||
| Estonian word naine "wife" derives from the Ancient Greek term neanis "young unmarried woman, bride" which is in turn borrowed from a Semitic term (possibly via Latin) for "girl". | |||
| Finnish | vaimo | ||
| The word "vaimo" is likely derived from the Proto-Finnic word *wajma, meaning "woman" or "female." | |||
| Hungarian | feleség | ||
| The word "feleség" in Hungarian also means "helpmeet" or "better half." | |||
| Latvian | sieva | ||
| "Sieva" also means "sieve" or a similar household item for separating solids from liquids in Latvian. | |||
| Lithuanian | žmona | ||
| The word "žmona" is derived from the Proto-Baltic root *žmen-, meaning "to take, grasp" or "to have, possess". | |||
| Macedonian | сопруга | ||
| The word "сопруга" is also used to refer to a female singer in a choir. | |||
| Polish | żona | ||
| The Polish word 'żona' ultimately comes from the Proto-Slavic word 'žena', which also means 'woman' or 'female'. | |||
| Romanian | soție | ||
| 'Soție' also refers to a 'portion or fate', reflecting the traditional idea of women as being destined by fate to be married and subservient to their husbands | |||
| Russian | жена | ||
| The word "жена" (wife) is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *žen-, meaning "female" or "woman" | |||
| Serbian | жена | ||
| The word "жена" can also refer to a woman who is not married, but is of marriageable age. | |||
| Slovak | manželka | ||
| Despite sounding very similar, the Czech "manželka" is a false friend and means "husband". The Slovak feminine equivalent is "manželka". | |||
| Slovenian | žena | ||
| The word "žena" also has the archaic meaning "woman", in the sense of a female person. | |||
| Ukrainian | дружина | ||
| "Druzhina" originally meant "friend" or "companion" in Old East Slavic, and is related to the word "друг" (friend) in modern Russian. | |||
Wife in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | স্ত্রী | ||
| The word "স্ত্রী" derives from the Sanskrit "strī", meaning "woman" or "female," and is cognate with the English word "sister." | |||
| Gujarati | પત્ની | ||
| "પત્ની" is the Gujarati cognate of the Vedic term *patni* meaning "mistress of the house." | |||
| Hindi | पत्नी | ||
| The word "पत्नी" also signifies "lady of the house" due to its root word "पत" (husband or master). | |||
| Kannada | ಹೆಂಡತಿ | ||
| The word "ಹೆಂಡತಿ" (wife) in Kannada can also refer to a woman who is considered to be a "good wife" or a "virtuous woman". | |||
| Malayalam | ഭാര്യ | ||
| The word 'ഭാര്യ' (bhArya) originates from the Sanskrit word 'bhri,' meaning 'to support' or 'to nourish,' and refers to a woman who provides support and sustenance to her husband. | |||
| Marathi | बायको | ||
| The Marathi word "बायको" may derive from Sanskrit and mean "one who belongs to the house" or "householder". | |||
| Nepali | पत्नी | ||
| The word "पत्नी" in Nepali can also refer to a female companion or friend, not necessarily a spouse or wife. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪਤਨੀ | ||
| The word 'ਪਤਨੀ' (patni) in Punjabi also means a female religious partner or companion. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | බිරිඳ | ||
| The Sinhala word "බිරිඳ" (birinda) can also be used to refer to a female partner or lover outside of marriage. | |||
| Tamil | மனைவி | ||
| Telugu | భార్య | ||
| The word originates from Sanskrit where it represents a feminine form for 'bearer'. | |||
| Urdu | بیوی | ||
| The word "بیوی" is derived from the Arabic word "بَیّن", meaning "to distinguish" or "to separate". | |||
Wife in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 妻子 | ||
| "妻子" (wife) originally referred to a woman's sister or female cousin, later evolving to mean "wife" in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 妻子 | ||
| "妻子" was extended to its current meaning, a "female partner in a marriage", during the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC (the character 妻 originally indicating only female slaves, not a spouse). | |||
| Japanese | 妻 | ||
| The character 妻, meaning 'wife,' is also a phonetic component in words related to marriage or women, such as 'sister' (姉) and 'husband' (夫). | |||
| Korean | 아내 | ||
| The morpheme -내 has a possessive function which marks the word as someone's wife in the context of relationship. | |||
| Mongolian | эхнэр | ||
| The word "эхнэр" is derived from the Proto-Mongolic word *ekenör, meaning "mistress of the house". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဇနီး | ||
| The word "ဇနီး" is also used as a term of address for a female elder or superior. | |||
Wife in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | istri | ||
| The word "istri" is derived from the Sanskrit word "strī" meaning "woman" and is also used in other Austronesian languages to refer to a "female relative" or "wife". | |||
| Javanese | garwa | ||
| The term 'garwa' can also refer to a consort, a spouse of equal rank, or a partner in marriage. | |||
| Khmer | ប្រពន្ធ | ||
| Lao | ເມຍ | ||
| From Sanskrit 'māy', Lao 'ເມຍ' can also mean 'witch'. | |||
| Malay | isteri | ||
| The word 'isteri' possibly derives from Proto-Austronesian *isəq 'woman', and may be cognate with Javanese 'estri' ('woman') and Balinese 'stri' ('woman', 'wife'). | |||
| Thai | ภรรยา | ||
| ภรรยา derives from Sanskrit "bhrati-jaa" meaning "sister" and "jaa" meaning "birth" or "born". Alternatively, it can refer to a queen consort or a lady-in-waiting. | |||
| Vietnamese | người vợ | ||
| The word "người vợ" originates from the Old Vietnamese word "ngươi", meaning both "husband" and "wife." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | asawa | ||
Wife in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | arvad | ||
| The word "arvad" in Azerbaijani can also refer to a "mistress". | |||
| Kazakh | әйелі | ||
| The word "әйелі" is derived from the Turkic root "*äñäl-", meaning "mother" or "female". | |||
| Kyrgyz | аялы | ||
| The word "аялы" in Kyrgyz can also mean "partner" or "companion". | |||
| Tajik | зан | ||
| } | |||
| Turkmen | aýaly | ||
| Uzbek | xotin | ||
| The word "xotin" likely originates from the Persian word "khvatin," which means "lady" or "woman of high rank." | |||
| Uyghur | ئايالى | ||
Wife in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | wahine | ||
| The word "wahine" also means "woman" or "female" in Hawaiian. | |||
| Maori | wahine | ||
| "Wahine" also has various other meanings such as "woman," "female," "lady," "mistress" or "girl," and may be used to distinguish a girl or young woman from a mature woman. | |||
| Samoan | ava | ||
| Ava also means 'the sun' in the Gilbertese language. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | asawa | ||
| The Tagalog word "asawa" is derived from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian root *asawa, which also means "spouse" or "companion". | |||
Wife in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | warmi | ||
| Guarani | tembireko | ||
Wife in International Languages
| Esperanto | edzino | ||
| The root 'edz' also means 'to give birth' and is related to the word 'ido', meaning 'offspring' | |||
| Latin | uxorem | ||
| In Roman law, "uxorem" was the female counterpart to "vir" or "husband" and was used in both the singular and plural forms. | |||
Wife in Others Languages
| Greek | γυναίκα | ||
| 'Γυναίκα' is derived from Proto-Indo-European '*gʷen-/*gʷʰen- meaning 'woman' and is related to 'γυνή' meaning 'woman' or 'wife'. | |||
| Hmong | tus poj niam | ||
| The Hmong word "tus poj niam" is also used to refer to a female companion or partner in a romantic relationship. | |||
| Kurdish | jin | ||
| The Kurdish word "jin" is also used to refer to a woman of good character and integrity. | |||
| Turkish | kadın eş | ||
| The second part of the word "kadın eş" ("wife") comes from the Persian "iş", which also refers to "companion". | |||
| Xhosa | umfazi | ||
| "Umfazi" is also used to refer to adult females and women in general. | |||
| Yiddish | ווייב | ||
| The Yiddish word 'ווייב' ('feygl') can also refer to a 'bird' or 'fowl'. | |||
| Zulu | unkosikazi | ||
| The word 'unkosikazi' also means 'lady' in Zulu and carries connotations of respect and authority. | |||
| Assamese | পত্নী | ||
| Aymara | warmi | ||
| Bhojpuri | लुगाई | ||
| Dhivehi | އަންހެނުން | ||
| Dogri | घरै-आहली | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | asawa | ||
| Guarani | tembireko | ||
| Ilocano | asawa a babai | ||
| Krio | wɛf | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | هاوسەر | ||
| Maithili | पत्नी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯂꯣꯏꯅꯕꯤ | ||
| Mizo | nupui | ||
| Oromo | haadha warraa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ପତ୍ନୀ | ||
| Quechua | warmi | ||
| Sanskrit | भार्या | ||
| Tatar | хатыны | ||
| Tigrinya | ሰበይቲ | ||
| Tsonga | nsati | ||