妻子
wife
qīzi
What does 妻子 mean?
妻子 (qīzi) is the standard word for 'wife.' It is neutral and slightly more formal than the colloquial 老婆 (lǎopo), so you'll see 妻子 in news, on official forms, and in polite introductions: 这是我妻子 ('this is my wife'). The character 妻 already means 'wife' on its own; the 子 suffix makes it a two-syllable noun — common in modern Mandarin even though 子 is meaningless here. Two register notes for English speakers: first, men casually call their wife 老婆 with friends and family, the way English uses 'my wife' / 'the missus' — 妻子 in that context can sound stiff.
Second, 妻子 cannot mean 'Mrs. So-and-so'; for that, use 太太 (Mrs.) or 夫人 (Madam, very formal).
Note: Neutral and slightly formal — common in writing, news, and introductions. In casual speech, men more often say 老婆 (lǎopo, 'wife / missus') with friends and family, or 太太 (tàitai, 'Mrs. / wife')
Character breakdown
wife
noun suffix (no meaning here; light tone)
Memory hook: 妻 already means wife; the 子 just makes it a comfortable two-syllable word, like adding -y or -er in English.
Measure word for 妻子
Example sentences
这是我的妻子，叫王红。
Zhè shì wǒ de qīzi, jiào Wáng Hóng.
This is my wife. Her name is Wang Hong.
neutral
他的妻子是医生。
Tā de qīzi shì yīshēng.
His wife is a doctor.
neutral
我和妻子周末一起去看电影。
Wǒ hé qīzi zhōumò yìqǐ qù kàn diànyǐng.
My wife and I go to the movies together on weekends.
neutral
他爱他的妻子和孩子。
Tā ài tā de qīzi hé háizi.
He loves his wife and children.
written
Common phrases with 妻子
Synonyms
Casual / colloquial 'wife.' Used among friends, family, and by husbands talking about their own wife. 妻子 is neutral-to-formal; 老婆 is the everyday spoken word.
Polite address: 'Mrs.' or 'wife.' Use 太太 in formal social contexts (王太太 'Mrs. Wang'). 妻子 names the relationship; 太太 names the person.
Very formal — 'Madam / lady.' Used for the wives of dignitaries or in highly respectful settings. Do not use 夫人 for your own wife.
Don't confuse 妻子 with
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