# 妻

| 妻 | U+59BB, &#22971; CJK UNIFIED IDEOGRAPH-59BB |
| ← 妺 [U+59BA] | CJK Unified Ideographs | 妼 → [U+59BC] |

## Translingual
### Han character

妻 (Kangxi radical 38, 女+5, 8 strokes, cangjie input 十中女 (JLV), four-corner 5040$_4$, composition ⿱⿻一肀女)

#### Derived characters

* 𠉯 凄 啛 𪥼 悽 捿 淒 𨹷 棲 𱲾 䃀 褄 𱹊 緀(𰬢) 𫋂 𫌿 𨧬 𩸸
* 郪 㼮 𨿩 鶈 𱙳 萋 𱸀 𫅆 𠬎 霋 𠆜 𪗍 𬐢 𧤳 𦪱

#### References

* Kangxi Dictionary: page 257, character 30
* Dai Kanwa Jiten: character 6140
* Dae Jaweon: page 522, character 25
* Hanyu Da Zidian (first edition): volume 2, page 1036, character 2
* Unihan data for U+59BB

## Chinese
### Glyph origin

Historical forms of the character 妻 :
| Western Zhou | Shuowen Jiezi (compiled in Han) | Liushutong (compiled in Ming) |
| Bronze inscriptions | Small seal script | Transcribed ancient scripts |
| | Old Chinese |
| 妻 | *sʰiːl, *sʰiːls |
| 萋 | *sʰiːl |
| 淒 | *sʰiːl |
| 凄 | *sʰiːl |
| 悽 | *sʰiːl |
| 鶈 | *sʰiːl |
| 郪 | *sʰiːl, *sʰil |
| 緀 | *sʰiːl, *sʰiːlʔ |
| 霋 | *sʰiːl |
| 棲 | *siːl |
Ideogrammic compound (會意 / 会意): 肀 (“hand grabbing hair”) + 女 (“woman”) ― a man grabbing a woman's hair to show ownership (marriage by capture).

### Etymology

Thought to be cognate to 齊 (OC *dzêi, “same, equal (adj.), in line”) (SWJZ; Karlgren, 1956) & interpreted as "an equal to her husband"; yet this is unlikely considering the realities of ancient societies (Schuessler, 2007).
Schuessler instead proposes Austroasiatic etymology: he reconstructs 妻 (OC *tshə̂i) < *k-sə̂i and compares it to Middle Khmer [script needed] (kansai, “wife”) (whence Khmer កន្សៃ (kɑnsay, “wife”)) and Khmer [script needed] (*khsay, “be female”) with *ka(n)- being a female marker (ibid.).

### Pronunciation 1

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): qī (qi$^1$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): cai$^1$
* Hakka (Sixian, PFS): chhî
* Northern Min (KCR): chí
* Eastern Min (BUC): chă̤
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): ce$^1$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): chhe / chhoe
    (Teochew, Peng'im): ci$^1$
* Wu (Shanghai, Wugniu): $^1$chi
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: qī
*** Zhuyin: ㄑㄧ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: ci
*** Wade–Giles: chʻi$^1$
*** Yale: chī
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chi
*** Palladius: ци (ci)
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡ɕʰi⁵⁵/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: cai$^1$
*** Yale: chāi
*** Cantonese Pinyin: tsai$^1$
*** Guangdong Romanization: cei$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sʰɐi̯⁵⁵/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: chhî
*** Hakka Romanization System: qi$^ˊ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: qi$^1$
*** Sinological IPA: /t͡sʰi²⁴/
* Northern Min
** (Jian'ou)
*** Kienning Colloquial Romanized: chí
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sʰi⁵⁴/
* Eastern Min
** (Fuzhou)
*** Bàng-uâ-cê: chă̤
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sʰɛ⁵⁵/
* Puxian Min
** (Putian, Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: ce$^1$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sʰe⁵³³/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhe
*** Tâi-lô: tshe
*** Phofsit Daibuun: zhef
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sʰe³³/
*** IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung): /t͡sʰe⁴⁴/
** (Hokkien: Quanzhou, Xiamen, Zhangzhou)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhoe
*** Tâi-lô: tshue
*** Phofsit Daibuun: zhoef
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /t͡sʰue³³/
*** IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /t͡sʰue⁴⁴/
* chhe - literary;
* chhoe - vernacular.
* Middle Chinese: tshej
Rime :
| Character | 妻 |
| Reading # | 1/2 |
| Initial (聲) | 清 (14) |
| Final (韻) | 齊 (39) |
| Tone (調) | Level (Ø) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | IV |
| Fanqie | 七稽切 |
| Baxter | tshej |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /t͡sʰei/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /t͡sʰei/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /t͡sʰɛi/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /t͡sʰɛj/ |
| Li Rong | /t͡sʰei/ |
| Wang Li | /t͡sʰiei/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /t͡sʰiei/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | qī |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | cai$^1$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*[tsʰ]ˤəj/
    (Zhengzhang): /*sʰiːl/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 妻 |
| Reading # | 1/2 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | qī |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ tshej › |
| Old Chinese | /*[tsʰ]ˁəj/ |
| English | consort, wife |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 妻 |
| Reading # | 1/2 |
| No. | 9913 |
| Phonetic component | 妻 |
| Rime group | 脂 |
| Rime subdivision | 1 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 妻 |
| Old Chinese | /*sʰiːl/ |

#### Definitions

妻
* wife

##### Synonyms

| Variety | Location | Words |
| Classical Chinese | Classical Chinese | 妻, 妻兒, 內人, 內子, 夫人, 娘子 |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 妻子, 夫人, 太太, 妻室, 妻房, 拙荊 humble |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Beijing | 女人, 媳婦兒, 老婆子, 屋兒裡的, 屋兒裡人, 家項兒 dated |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 太太, 老婆, 牽手 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Ulanhot | 媳婦兒, 老娘們兒 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Tongliao | 媳婦兒, 老娘們兒 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Chifeng | 老娘們兒 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Hulunbuir (Hailar) | 媳婦兒, 老娘們兒 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Harbin | 老婆, 媳婦兒, 屋裡的, 屋裡人兒, 老娘們兒 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Shenyang | 老婆, 家裡的 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Malaysia | 老婆 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 老婆, 太太 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Tianjin | 老婆, 屋裡的, 家裡的, 娘們兒 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Weifang (Weicheng) | 老婆, 家裡 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Weifang (Fangzi) | 老婆, 媳婦, 家裡 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Changle | 老婆, 媳婦, 家裡 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Shouguang | 老婆, 女人 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Wulian | 老婆, 辦飯的 |
| Jilu Mandarin | Jinan | 老婆, 媳婦, 女的, 家裡, 家裡的 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Yantai (Muping) | 老婆, 媳婦, 家裡兒的 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Qingdao | 老婆子 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Weifang (Hanting) | 老婆, 媳婦 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Changyi | 老婆, 媳婦, 家裡 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Gaomi | 老婆, 媳婦, 家裡 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Zhucheng | 媳子, 老婆 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Anqiu | 老婆, 媳婦, 家裡 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Linqu | 老婆, 媳婦 |
| Jiaoliao Mandarin | Qingzhou | 老婆, 媳婦 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Luoyang | 女人, 媳婦兒, 屋裡的, 家裡 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Wanrong | 老婆, 媳婦 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Zhengzhou | 媳婦 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xi'an | 女人, 媳婦兒, 老婆, 婆娘, 屋裡人, 屋裡家 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xining | 媳婦, 婆娘, 家裡的 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Xuzhou | 女的, 家下, 家來的, 家裡人, 媳婦兒 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Sokuluk (Gansu Dungan) | 老婆, 婆姨, 婆娘, 妻人 |
| Central Plains Mandarin | Masanchin (Shaanxi Dungan) | 老婆, 婆姨, 女人, 妻人 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Yinchuan | 婆姨, 媳婦, 女人 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Bayanhot | 老婆, 屋裡的 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Lanzhou | 女人, 媳婦, 屋裡的, 家裡的 |
| Lanyin Mandarin | Ürümqi | 女人, 媳婦兒, 央格子 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Chengdu | 女的, 女人, 老娘兒, 婆娘 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Wuhan | 女的, 女將, 屋裡 dated, 屋裡的 dated, 屋裡人 dated, 家務 dated, 堂客 dated |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guiyang | 女的, 女人, 婆娘, 屋頭人 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Kunming | 婆娘, 老婆, 媳婦, 女人, 家首 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guilin | 老婆 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Liuzhou | 老婆, 婆娘 dated |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Sanjiang (Danzhou) | 老婆 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nanjing | 女的, 女人, 老婆, 媽媽 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Yangzhou | 老婆, 媽媽, 堂客, 女眷 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Xinghua | 女人, 女將 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Nantong | 堂客, 女將, 奶奶, 老婆 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Hefei | 老婆, 奶奶們 |
| Jianghuai Mandarin | Huanggang | 屋裡人, 屋裡, 堂客 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 老婆, 女人, 煮飯婆, 堂客 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 老婆, 煮飯婆, 太太 non-face-to-face |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (San Tin; Weitou) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong (Kam Tin; Weitou) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Macau | 老婆, 太太 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Panyu) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Huashan, Huadu) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Conghua) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou (Zengcheng) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Foshan | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shatou, Nanhai) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Shunde) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Sanshui) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Foshan (Mingcheng, Gaoming) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Zhongshan (Shiqi) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Qianshan, Xiangzhou) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Shangheng, Doumen; Tanka) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Zhuhai (Doumen) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Baisha) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Jiangmen (Xinhui) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Taishan | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Kaiping (Chikan) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Enping (Niujiang) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Heshan (Yayao) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Dongguan | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Shenzhen (Shajing, Bao'an) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Shaoguan | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Yunfu | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Yangjiang | 老婆, 家下, 夫娘 |
| Cantonese | Xinyi | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Lianjiang | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Nanning | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Wuzhou | 老婆, 燒火婆 |
| Cantonese | Yulin | 老婆, 婦娘 |
| Cantonese | Hepu (Lianzhou) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Beihai (Qiaogang - Cô Tô) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Fangchenggang (Fangcheng) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Dongxing | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Danzhou | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Kuala Lumpur (Guangfu) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Singapore (Guangfu) | 老婆 |
| Cantonese | Ho Chi Minh City (Guangfu) | 老婆, 太太 |
| Cantonese | Móng Cái | 老婆 |
| Gan | Nanchang | 老婆, 女客 |
| Gan | Lichuan | 老婆, 女客 |
| Gan | Pingxiang | 婆娘, 老婆 |
| Gan | Jianning | 老婆 |
| Gan | Taining | 阿娘 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 老婆, 婦人家 |
| Hakka | Xingning | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Huizhou (Huicheng; Bendihua) | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Huiyang | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Huidong (Daling) | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Dongguan (Qingxi) | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Shenzhen (Shatoujiao) | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Zhongshan (Nanlang Heshui) | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Wuhua (Huacheng) | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Heyuan (Bendihua) | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Wengyuan | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Nanxiong (Zhuji) | 婦娘, 堂客 |
| Hakka | Shaoguan (Qujiang) | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang) | 婆乸 |
| Hakka | Liannan | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Guangzhou (Lütian, Conghua) | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Jiexi | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Luhe | 婦娘 |
| Hakka | Zhao'an (Xiuzhuan) | 婦娘 |
| Hakka | Pinghe (Jiufeng) | 媽娘 |
| Hakka | Changting | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Shanghang | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Longyan (Yongding) | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Wuping | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Wuping (Yanqian) | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Wuping (Pingyu) | 老婆, 婦娘 |
| Hakka | Liancheng | 婦娘 |
| Hakka | Ninghua | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Qingliu | 婦娘 |
| Hakka | Yudu | 老婆, 婦娘 |
| Hakka | Ningdu | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Ruijin | 老婆, 婦娘 |
| Hakka | Shicheng | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Shangyou (Shexi) | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Tonggu (Sandu) | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Ganzhou (Panlong) | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Dayu | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (N. Sixian) | 婦娘, 老姐 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) | 姐仔 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) | 婦娘, 老姐 |
| Hakka | Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) | 婦娘, 老姐 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) | 婦娘, 老姐 |
| Hakka | Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) | 婦娘 |
| Hakka | Hong Kong | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Mengshan (Xihe) | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Luchuan | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Luchuan (Daqiao) | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Sabah (Longchuan) | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Senai (Huiyang) | 老婆 |
| Hakka | Singkawang | 老婆, 番婆 |
| Hakka | Singapore (Dabu) | 老婆 |
| Huizhou | Jixi | 老嫗 |
| Huizhou | Shexian | 老婆, 堂客 |
| Huizhou | Huangshan (Tunxi) | 老婆 |
| Huizhou | Xiuning | 老婆 |
| Huizhou | Yixian | 老婆 |
| Huizhou | Qimen | 婦兒家 |
| Huizhou | Wuyuan | 老婆 |
| Huizhou | Fuliang | 老婆, 婦人個 |
| Huizhou | Dexing | 老婆 |
| Huizhou | Jingde | 屋裡 |
| Huizhou | Shitai (Xianyu) | 老婆 |
| Jin | Taiyuan | 老婆, 家裡的, 女人, 婆姨 |
| Jin | Pingyao | 老婆, 媳婦, 婆姨 |
| Jin | Xinzhou | 女人, 老婆, 婆姨 |
| Jin | Taibus (Baochang) | 老婆 |
| Jin | Linhe | 老婆, 女人 |
| Jin | Jining | 老婆, 媳婦 |
| Jin | Hohhot | 女人 |
| Jin | Baotou | 老婆, 媳婦 |
| Jin | Dongsheng | 老婆 |
| Jin | Haibowan | 老婆 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou | 老媽 |
| Northern Min | Jian'ou (Dikou) | 老媽 |
| Northern Min | Songxi | 老媽 |
| Northern Min | Zhenghe | 老媽 |
| Northern Min | Zhenghe (Zhenqian) | 老媽 |
| Northern Min | Jianyang | 老媽 |
| Northern Min | Wuyishan | 老媽 |
| Northern Min | Pucheng (Shibei) | 老媽 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou | 老媽, 諸娘儂, 厝裡, 𡚸, 老小 |
| Eastern Min | Fuzhou (Changle) | 老媽, 厝裡 |
| Eastern Min | Lianjiang | 老媽, 厝裡 |
| Eastern Min | Fuqing | 老媽, 𡚸, 厝裡 |
| Eastern Min | Pingtan | 老媽 |
| Eastern Min | Yongtai | 老媽 |
| Eastern Min | Minqing | 老媽 |
| Eastern Min | Gutian | 老媽 |
| Eastern Min | Pingnan | 老媽 |
| Eastern Min | Luoyuan | 老媽 |
| Eastern Min | Fu'an | 老媽 |
| Eastern Min | Ningde | 老媽 |
| Eastern Min | Xiapu | 老媽 |
| Eastern Min | Zherong | 老媽 |
| Eastern Min | Shouning | 老媽 |
| Eastern Min | Zhouning | 老媽 |
| Eastern Min | Fuding | 老媽 |
| Eastern Min | Matsu | 老媽 |
| Eastern Min | Sitiawan (Gutian) | 老媽 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 某, 牽手, 牽手的, 查某儂, 厝內, 厝內儂, 家內, 家內儂, 家後, 內人, 內助, 婦人儂, 柴耙, 老柴杮, 老柴㷮 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen (Tong'an) | 某 |
| Southern Min | Quanzhou | 某, 牽手, 牽手的, 查某儂, 厝內, 家內, 家內儂, 家後, 內人, 內助, 婦人儂 |
| Southern Min | Jinjiang | 某, 厝內儂 |
| Southern Min | Nan'an | 某 |
| Southern Min | Shishi | 某 |
| Southern Min | Hui'an | 某 |
| Southern Min | Anxi | 某 |
| Southern Min | Yongchun | 某 |
| Southern Min | Dehua | 某 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 某, 牽手, 牽手的, 查某儂, 厝內, 厝內儂, 家內, 家內儂, 家後, 內人, 內助, 婦人儂, 內頭, 㾀菜籃, 煮飯婆, 煮飯的 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou (Longhai) | 某 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou (Changtai) | 某 |
| Southern Min | Hua'an | 某 |
| Southern Min | Nanjing | 某 |
| Southern Min | Pinghe | 某 |
| Southern Min | Zhangpu | 某 |
| Southern Min | Yunxiao | 某 |
| Southern Min | Zhao'an | 某 |
| Southern Min | Dongshan | 某 |
| Southern Min | Taipei | 太太, 某, 牽手 |
| Southern Min | New Taipei (Sanxia) | 太太, 阮厝的查某儂, 阿貼的, 後柴耙, 某 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung | 太太, 某, 查某儂, 柴耙, 牽手, 牽的, 煮飯的 |
| Southern Min | Yilan | 太太, 某, 查某儂, 家後, 柴耙, 牽手, 牽的, 煮飯的 |
| Southern Min | Changhua (Lukang) | 某, 查某人, 柴耙, 牽手, 煮飯的 |
| Southern Min | Taichung | 某, 家後, 牽手 |
| Southern Min | Taichung (Wuqi) | 某 |
| Southern Min | Tainan | 太太, 某, 查某儂, 柴耙, 牽手, 牽的, 煮飯的 |
| Southern Min | Taitung | 某 |
| Southern Min | Hsinchu | 某, 家後, 查某儂, 煮飯的, 柴耙 |
| Southern Min | Kinmen | 某, 家內, 太的 |
| Southern Min | Penghu (Magong) | 某, 牽手, 查某儂, 姿娘, 夫人, 家內, 柴耙 |
| Southern Min | Penang (Hokkien) | 某, 查某儂, 家後 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hokkien) | 某, 厝內, 厝內儂 |
| Southern Min | Manila (Hokkien) | 某, 牽手, 牽手的 |
| Southern Min | Longyan | 老婆 |
| Southern Min | Zhangping | 查某儂, 某 |
| Southern Min | Zhangping (Yongfu) | 查某, 老媽 non-face-to-face |
| Southern Min | Datian | 老媽 |
| Southern Min | Chaozhou | 𡚸 |
| Southern Min | Shantou | 𡚸, 老婆 |
| Southern Min | Shantou (Chenghai) | 𡚸 |
| Southern Min | Jieyang | 𡚸 |
| Southern Min | Puning | 老, 老婆, 𡚸 |
| Southern Min | Lufeng | 𡚸 |
| Southern Min | Haifeng | 𡚸, 㜁𡚸 |
| Southern Min | Johor Bahru (Teochew) | 𡚸 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Teochew) | 𡚸, 老婆 |
| Southern Min | Leizhou | 老婆, 婆 |
| Southern Min | Wenchang | 老婆 |
| Southern Min | Haikou | 老婆, 妰娝 dated |
| Southern Min | Qionghai | 老婆 |
| Puxian Min | Putian | 老媽, 姆, 嬸娘 |
| Puxian Min | Putian (Donghai, Chengxiang) | 老媽, 姆 |
| Puxian Min | Putian (Jiangkou, Hanjiang) | 老媽 |
| Puxian Min | Putian (Nanri, Xiuyu) | 老媽, 嬸娘, 姆 |
| Puxian Min | Xianyou | 老媽, 老婆 |
| Puxian Min | Xianyou (Fengting) | 老媽, 老婆 |
| Puxian Min | Xianyou (Youyang) | 老媽 |
| Central Min | Yong'an | 俺娘 |
| Central Min | Sanming (Sanyuan) | 俺娘 |
| Central Min | Sanming (Shaxian) | 阿娘 |
| Shaojiang Min | Shaowu | 媽娘 |
| Shaojiang Min | Guangze | 媽娘 |
| Shaojiang Min | Jiangle | 老婆 |
| Shaojiang Min | Mingxi | 阿娘 |
| Shaojiang Min | Shunchang | 老婆 |
| Zhongshan Min | Zhongshan (Longdu, Shaxi) | 老婆 |
| Southern Pinghua | Nanning (Tingzi) | 老婆, 女人 |
| Northern Pinghua | Guilin (Dahe) | 老婆 |
| Northern Pinghua | Lingchuan (Sanjie) | 女人 |
| Wu | Shanghai | 老婆, 太太, 妻子, 夫人, 內人, 女人, 家主婆, 屋裡個, 屋裡 |
| Wu | Shanghai (Chongming) | 女個, 屋裡, 女客, 女人 |
| Wu | Suzhou | 女人, 家小, 家主婆, 家婆, 屋裡, 老婆 |
| Wu | Wuxi | 老婆, 女人, 家主婆, 屋裡人 |
| Wu | Danyang | 女個, 老媽, 家裡 |
| Wu | Hangzhou | 老婆, 老娘, 女人, 女的, 屋裡, 屋裡廂 |
| Wu | Shaoxing | 老媽 |
| Wu | Ningbo | 老婆, 老𡢿, 女人, 屋裡人 dated |
| Wu | Wenzhou | 老安, 老安人, 老人兒, 老人客, 老人, 屋裡 |
| Wu | Jinhua | 老婆, 窩裡 |
| Wu | Jinhua (Tangxi) | 老媽 |
| Wu | Pucheng | 老婆 |
| Xiang | Changsha | 堂客, 內當家, 婆婆子 |
| Xiang | Xiangtan | 堂客 |
| Xiang | Loudi | 堂客, 婆娘, 老婆, 屋裡個, 他㑲娘 |
| Xiang | Shuangfeng | 堂客, 老婆 |
| Xiang | Hengyang | 堂客, 老婆 non-face-to-face |
| Xiang | Quanzhou | 老婆 |

#### Compounds

* 下堂妻
* 下妻 (Xiàqī)
* 三妻四妾 (sānqīsìqiè)
* 令妻
* 休妻 (xiūqī)
* 借妻
* 停妻再娶
* 偎妻靠婦 / 偎妻靠妇
* 傍妻
* 兄弟共妻
* 兒女夫妻 / 儿女夫妻
* 兩婦三妻 / 两妇三妻
* 出妻
* 初妻
* 前妻 (qiánqī)
* 大婦小妻 / 大妇小妻
* 夫妻 (fūqī)
* 夫妻兩口 / 夫妻两口
* 夫妻反目
* 夫妻店 (fūqīdiàn)
* 夫妻相 (fūqīxiàng)
* 夫妻關係 / 夫妻关系
* 夫榮妻貴 / 夫荣妻贵
* 夫榮妻顯 / 夫荣妻显
* 夫貴妻榮 / 夫贵妻荣
* 妻以夫貴 / 妻以夫贵
* 妻兒 / 妻儿 (qī'ér)
* 妻兒老小 / 妻儿老小
* 妻女 (qīnǚ)
* 妻妾 (qīqiè)
* 妻姊妹婚
* 妻子
* 妻孥 (qīnú)
* 妻室 (qīshì)
* 妻小 (qīxiǎo)
* 妻梅子鶴 / 妻梅子鹤
* 妻管嚴 / 妻管严 (qīguǎnyán)
* 妻舅 (qījiù)
* 妻親 / 妻亲
* 妻離子散 / 妻离子散 (qīlízǐsàn)
* 妻黨 / 妻党
* 娶妻 (qǔqī)
* 娶妻生子 (qǔqīshēngzǐ)
* 嫡妻 (díqī)
* 嬌妻 / 娇妻 (jiāoqī)
* 嬌妻美妾 / 娇妻美妾
* 孀妻 (shuāngqī)
* 寡妻 (guǎqī)
* 封妻廕子 / 封妻荫子
* 小妻
* 山妻 (shānqī)
* 後妻 / 后妻 (hòuqī)
* 徙宅忘妻
* 忌妻
* 患難夫妻 / 患难夫妻
* 愛妻 / 爱妻 (àiqī)
* 拋妻別子 / 抛妻别子
* 拋妻棄子 / 抛妻弃子 (pāoqīqìzǐ)
* 挑妻窩夫 / 挑妻窝夫
* 指腳夫妻 / 指脚夫妻
* 旁妻
* 未婚妻 (wèihūnqī)
* 杞梁妻
* 柴米夫妻
* 梅妻鶴子 / 梅妻鹤子 (méiqīhèzǐ)
* 次妻 (cìqī)
* 正妻 (zhèngqī)
* 殺妻求將 / 杀妻求将
* 活人妻
* 焦仲卿妻
* 蒸藜出妻
* 玄妻
* 秋胡戲妻 / 秋胡戏妻
* 空中夫妻
* 糟糠之妻 (zāokāngzhīqī)
* 糟糠妻
* 結髮夫妻 / 结发夫妻 (jiéfà fūqī)
* 繼妻 / 继妻
* 老夫妻
* 老夫老妻 (lǎofūlǎoqī)
* 腹婚妻
* 腳頭妻 / 脚头妻
* 花燭夫妻 / 花烛夫妻
* 荊妻 / 荆妻
* 萊妻 / 莱妻
* 蔭子封妻 / 荫子封妻
* 買妻恥樵 / 买妻耻樵
* 賢妻 / 贤妻 (xiánqī)
* 賢妻良母 / 贤妻良母 (xiánqīliángmǔ)
* 賣妻鬻子 / 卖妻鬻子
* 質妻鬻子 / 质妻鬻子
* 逃妻
* 雇妻鬻子
* 露水夫妻
* 頭妻 / 头妻
* 首妻
* 髮妻 / 发妻 (fàqī)

### Pronunciation 2

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): qì (qi$^4$)
    (Zhuyin): ㄑㄧˋ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): cai$^3$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: qì
*** Zhuyin: ㄑㄧˋ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: cì
*** Wade–Giles: chʻi$^4$
*** Yale: chì
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: chih
*** Palladius: ци (ci)
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡ɕʰi⁵¹/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: cai$^3$
*** Yale: chai
*** Cantonese Pinyin: tsai$^3$
*** Guangdong Romanization: cei$^3$
*** Sinological IPA : /t͡sʰɐi̯³³/
* Middle Chinese: tshejH
Rime :
| Character | 妻 |
| Reading # | 2/2 |
| Initial (聲) | 清 (14) |
| Final (韻) | 齊 (39) |
| Tone (調) | Departing (H) |
| Openness (開合) | Open |
| Division (等) | IV |
| Fanqie | 七計切 |
| Baxter | tshejH |
| Reconstructions ||
| Zhengzhang Shangfang | /t͡sʰei$^H$/ |
| Pan Wuyun | /t͡sʰei$^H$/ |
| Shao Rongfen | /t͡sʰɛi$^H$/ |
| Edwin Pulleyblank | /t͡sʰɛj$^H$/ |
| Li Rong | /t͡sʰei$^H$/ |
| Wang Li | /t͡sʰiei$^H$/ |
| Bernhard Karlgren | /t͡sʰiei$^H$/ |
| Expected Mandarin Reflex | qì |
| Expected Cantonese Reflex | cai$^3$ |
* Old Chinese
    (Baxter–Sagart): /*[tsʰ]ˤəj-s/
    (Zhengzhang): /*sʰiːls/
Baxter–Sagart system 1.1 (2014) :
| Character | 妻 |
| Reading # | 2/2 |
| Modern Beijing (Pinyin) | qì |
| Middle Chinese | ‹ tshej$^H$ › |
| Old Chinese | /*[tsʰ]ˁəj-s/ |
| English | give as wife |
| Notes for Old Chinese notations in the Baxter–Sagart system: * Parentheses "" indicate uncertain presence; * Square brackets "" indicate uncertain identity, e.g. *[t] as coda may in fact be *-t or *-p; * Angle brackets "<>" indicate infix; * Hyphen "-" indicates morpheme boundary; * Period "." indicates syllable boundary. ||
Zhengzhang system (2003) :
| Character | 妻 |
| Reading # | 2/2 |
| No. | 9923 |
| Phonetic component | 妻 |
| Rime group | 脂 |
| Rime subdivision | 1 |
| Corresponding MC rime | 砌 |
| Old Chinese | /*sʰiːls/ |

#### Definitions

妻
* (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to give a wife to; to give as a wife; to become married to a man
    From: The Analects of Confucius, c. 475 – 221 BCE
    Zǐ wèi Gōngyě Cháng, “kě qì yě. Suī zài léiyì zhī zhōng, fēi qí zuì yě”. Yǐ qí zǐ qì zhī. [Pinyin]
    The Master said of Gongye Chang that he might be wived; although he was put in bonds, he had not been guilty of any crime. Accordingly, he gave him his own daughter to wife.
* (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) to marry a woman
    From: Mencius, c. 4th century BCE
    hǎosè, rén zhī suǒyù, qī dì zhī èrnǚ, ér bùzú yǐ jiěyōu; [Pinyin]
    To lust after feminine beauty is men's desire, and Shun married as wives Emperor Yao's two daughters, yet that was not enough to rid Shun of Shun's sorrow.

## Japanese
### Kanji

(Fifth grade kyōiku kanji)
* spouse

#### Readings

* Go-on: さい (sai, Jōyō)
* Kan-on: せい (sei)
* Kun: つま (tsuma, 妻, Jōyō)、めあわせる (meawaseru, 妻せる)

### Etymology 1

* Kanji in this term
* 妻
* つま Grade: 5
* kun'yomi
From 端 (tsuma, “side, edge”), indicating the person who is at the side of someone: a spouse. Compare the English expression better half.
This term originally referred to either a male (husband) or female (wife) spouse. In modern usage, this term refers only to a female spouse.

#### Alternative forms

* 夫 (archaic)

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) つま [tsúꜜmà] (Atamadaka – [1])
* IPA: [t͡sɨma̠]

#### Noun

妻(つま) • (tsuma)
* (archaic) a spouse
* (humble, only refers to one's own) a wife (married woman)
** 1999 February 15 [1983 June 20], Osamu Tezuka, “第８話　未知への挑戦 [Chapter 8: Challenge of the Third Kind]”, in ブラック・ジャック [Black Jack], 8th edition, volume 18 (fiction), Tokyo: Kodansha, →ISBN, page 176:
    先(せん)生(せい)………………私(わたし)の妻(つま)は美(うつく)しいでしょう？ああ！すばらしい美(び)人(じん)ですよ！
       Sensei……………… watashi no tsuma wa utsukushii deshō?
       Doctor... Do you think my wife is beautiful?
       Ā! Subarashii bijin desu yo!
       Sure! She’s a gorgeous lady!

##### Synonyms

* (one’s own wife): 家(か)内(ない) (kanai)
* (someone else's wife): 奥(おく)さん (okusan), 奥様(おくさま) (okusama)
* (spouse in general): 配偶者(はいぐうしゃ) (haigūsha)
* (dialectal, Kansai) 嫁(よめ) (yome)
* (dialectal, Kagoshima) うっかた (ukkata)

### Etymology 2

* Kanji in this term
* 妻
* つま Grade: 5
* kun'yomi
By extension from the at the side sense.

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) つま [tsùmáꜜ] (Odaka –)
* IPA: [t͡sɨma̠]

#### Noun

妻(つま) • (tsuma)
* a side dish
* a tangent, a digression, something to the side of the main thing

### Etymology 3

* Kanji in this term
* 妻
* さい Grade: 5
* goon
From Middle Chinese 妻 (MC tshej|tshejH, “wife”).

#### Pronunciation

* (Tokyo) さい [sáꜜì] (Atamadaka – [1])
* IPA: [sa̠i]

#### Noun

妻(さい) • (sai)
* my wife
** Isikawa Takuboku, Romazi Nikki
    Yo wa Sai wo aisiteru; aisiteru kara koso kono Nikki wo yomase taku nai no da.I love my Wife; it is precisely because I love her that I do not want her to read this Diary.

##### Usage notes

* Used chiefly in written texts such as letters.

### References

* 1 2 3 Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
* 1 2 3 Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN

## Korean
### Etymology

From Middle Chinese 妻 (MC tshej).
Historical Readings :
| Dongguk Jeongun Reading |||
| Dongguk Jeongun, 1448 | 촁 (Yale: chyèy) | 촁 (Yale: chyèy) |
| Middle Korean |||
| Text | Eumhun | Eumhun |
| Text | Gloss (hun) | Reading |
| Hunmong Jahoe, 1527 | 겨〯집 (Yale: kyěcìp) | 쳐 (Yale: chyè) |

### Pronunciation

* (SK Standard/Seoul) IPA: [t͡ɕʰʌ̹]
* Phonetic hangul: [처]

### Hanja

Wikisource 妻 (eumhun 아내 처 (anae cheo))
* hanja form of 처 (“wife”)

#### Compounds

* 본처 (本妻, boncheo)
* 애처 (愛妻, aecheo)
* 조강지처 (糟糠之妻, jogangjicheo)
* 처가 (妻家, cheoga)
* 처자 (妻子, cheoja)
* 처제 (妻弟, cheoje)

### References

* 국제퇴계학회 대구경북지부 (國際退溪學會 大邱慶北支部) (2007). Digital Hanja Dictionary, 전자사전／電子字典.

## Vietnamese
### Han character

妻: Hán Nôm readings: thê, thế
* This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.