KanjiGami
Remembering Kanji Made Easy.

Wife

つま (tsuma)

JLPT N5

Interesting Fact

A common joke in Japan is that many husbands earn the salary, but their wives manage the household finances. The husband receives a monthly allowance, while the wife decides where the rest goes. Depending on who you ask, this is either efficient financial planning or the world's longest-running economic system.

Memory Trick

The top looks like a decorative hairpin, while the bottom is a woman. Picture a bride preparing for her wedding. That's 妻, meaning wife.

Readings

Onyomi: サイ (sai)

Kunyomi: つま (tsuma)

Example Words

つま (tsuma)
Wife
夫妻
ふさい (fusai)
Husband and wife
人妻
ひとづま (hitozuma)
Married woman
良妻
りょうさい (ryousai)
Good wife

Example Sentence

妻は先生です。

つま は せんせい です。

tsuma wa sensei desu

My wife is a teacher.

Advertisement