Curious about how to say “wife” in different languages?
Whether you’re a language enthusiast, artist, traveller, or someone exploring cultural nuances, discovering how to say “black” in various languages is enlightening and useful.
This guide offers translations, pronunciations, and cultural insights related to the word “Wife” in over 200 other languages.
Why Understanding WIFE in Different Languages is So Fascinating
The word “wife” represents more than just a color; it often symbolizes strength, elegance, mystery, and power across cultures.
Learning to express WIFE in various/ languages provides a deeper understanding of its universal and cultural symbolism.
Saying “Wife” in European Languages
Western European Languages
- English: Wife (pronounced wyf)
- French: Épouse (pronounced eh-POOZ)
- German: Ehefrau (pronounced EH-eh-frow)
- Spanish: Esposa (pronounced es-POH-sah)
- Italian: Moglie (pronounced MOHL-yeh)
- Portuguese: Esposa (pronounced es-POH-zah)
- Dutch: Vrouw (pronounced vrow)
- Catalan: Muller (pronounced moo-YEHR)
Northern European Languages
- Swedish: Hustru (wife)
- Danish: Hustru (wife)
- Norwegian: Hustru (wife)
- Finnish: Vaimo (wife)
- Icelandic: Eiginkona (wife)
Celtic Languages
- Irish Gaelic: Bean chéile (pronounced ban KHAY-leh)
- Scottish Gaelic: Bean-phòsda (pronounced ban-FOHS-dah)
- Welsh: Gwraig (pronounced GOO-rahig)
Other European Languages
- Basque: Emazte (pronounced eh-MAHS-teh)
- Maltese: Mara (pronounced MAH-rah)
- Albanian: Grua (pronounced GROO-ah)
Saying “Wife” in Asian Languages
East Asian Languages
- Chinese (Simplified): 妻子 (pronounced qi-zi)
- Chinese (Traditional): 妻子 (pronounced qi-zi)
- Japanese: 妻 (pronounced tsuma)
- Korean: 아내 (pronounced ah-nae)
South Asian Languages
- Hindi: पत्नी (pronounced pat-nee)
- Bengali: স্ত্রী (pronounced stree)
- Tamil: மனைவி (pronounced ma-nai-vi)
- Urdu: بیوی (pronounced bee-vee)
- Punjabi: ਪਤਨੀ (pronounced pat-nee)
- Telugu: భార్య (pronounced bhaar-ya)
- Gujarati: પત્ની (pronounced pat-nee)
- Kannada: ಹೆಂಡತಿ (pronounced hen-da-ti)
Southeast Asian Languages
- Thai: ภรรยา (pronounced phan-ra-yaa)
- Vietnamese: Vợ (pronounced vuh)
- Indonesian: Istri (pronounced is-tree)
- Malay: Isteri (pronounced is-te-ree)
- Khmer (Cambodian): ប្រពន្ធ (pronounced proh-pun)
- Burmese (Myanmar): ဇနီး (pronounced za-nee)
Central Asian Languages
- Kazakh: Әйел (pronounced ay-yel)
- Uzbek: Xotin (pronounced khoh-tin)
- Turkmen: Aýal (pronounced ay-yal)
- Tajik: Зан (pronounced zan)
Saying “Wife” in Middle-Eastern Languages
- Arabic: زوجة (pronounced zaw-jah)
- Hebrew: אישה (pronounced ee-shah)
- Persian (Farsi): همسر (pronounced ham-sar)
- Turkish: Karı (pronounced kah-ruh)
- Kurdish (Sorani): ژن (pronounced zheen)
Saying “Wife” in African Languages
- Swahili: Mke (pronounced m-keh)
- Zulu: Umfazi (pronounced oom-fah-zee)
- Afrikaans: Vrou (pronounced frow)
- Amharic: ሚስት (pronounced mist)
- Yoruba: Aya (pronounced ah-yah)
- Igbo: Nwunye (pronounced nwoo-nyeh)
- Hausa: Mata (pronounced mah-tah)
- Somali: Xaas (pronounced khaas)
Saying “Wife” in Austronesian Languages
- Filipino (Tagalog): Asawa (pronounced ah-sah-wah)
- Cebuano: Asawa (pronounced ah-sah-wah)
- Maori: Wahine (pronounced wah-hee-neh)
- Hawaiian: Wahine (pronounced wah-hee-neh)
- Javanese: Bojo (pronounced boh-joh)
- Malagasy: Vady (pronounced vah-dee)
Saying “Wife” in Indigenous Languages
Native American Languages
- Quechua: Warmi (pronounced wahr-mee)
- Navajo: Asdzáá (pronounced ahs-dzah)
Australian Aboriginal Languages
- Pitjantjatjara: Kungka (pronounced koong-kah)
More Translations of WIFE in Different Languages
- Amharic (Ethiopia): ሚስት (pronounced mist)
- Georgian: ცოლი (pronounced tsoli)
- Mongolian: эхнэр (pronounced ehk‑ner)
- Nepali: पत्नी (pronounced pat‑nee)
- Sinhala (Sri Lanka): බිරිඳ (pronounced bee‑rin‑da)
- Estonian: naine (pronounced nay‑neh)
- Latvian: sieva (pronounced see‑va)
- Lithuanian: žmona (pronounced zhmo‑na)
- Macedonian: сопруга (pronounced so‑proo‑ga)
- Armenian: կինը (pronounced ki‑ne)
- Bosnian: supruga (pronounced soo‑proo‑ga)
- Albanian: gruaja (pronounced groo‑ah‑ya)
- French: épouse (pronounced eh‑pooz)
- German: Ehefrau (pronounced ay‑froʊ)
- Spanish: esposa (pronounced es‑po‑sa)
- Italian: moglie (pronounced mol‑yee‑eh)
- Portuguese: esposa (pronounced es‑po‑za)
- Dutch: vrouw (pronounced frow)
- Catalan: esposa (pronounced es‑po‑sa)
- Swedish: fru (pronounced fru)
- Danish: kone (pronounced koh‑neh)
- Norwegian: kone (pronounced koo‑neh)
- Finnish: vaimo (pronounced vai‑mo)
- Icelandic: eiginkona (pronounced ay‑in‑ko‑na)
- Russian: жена (pronounced zhe‑na)
- Polish: żona (pronounced zho‑na)
- Czech: manželka (pronounced man‑zhel‑ka)
- Hungarian: feleség (pronounced fe‑le‑shayg)
- Slovak: manželka (pronounced man‑zhel‑ka)
- Ukrainian: дружина (pronounced dru‑zhy‑na)
- Bulgarian: съпруга (pronounced su‑proo‑ga)
- Serbian: супруга (pronounced soo‑proo‑ga)
- Irish Gaelic: bean chéile (pronounced ban‑hey‑la)
- Scottish Gaelic: bean chéile (pronounced ban‑hey‑la)
- Welsh: gwraig (pronounced gw‑raig)
- Basque: emaztea (pronounced eh‑mas‑te‑a)
- Maltese: mara (pronounced mah‑ra)
- Chinese (Simplified): 妻子 (pronounced qī‑zi)
- Chinese (Traditional): 妻子 (pronounced qī‑zi)
- Japanese: 妻 (pronounced tsu‑ma)
- Korean: 아내 (pronounced a‑nae)
- Hindi: पत्नी (pronounced pat‑nee)
- Bengali: স্ত্রী (pronounced stree)
- Tamil: மனைவி (pronounced ma‑nai‑vi)
- Urdu: بیوی (pronounced bee‑vee)
- Punjabi: ਪਤਨੀ (pronounced pat‑nee)
- Telugu: భార్య (pronounced bha‑rya)
- Gujarati: પત્ની (pronounced pat‑nee)
- Kannada: ಹೆಂಡತಿ (pronounced hen‑da‑ti)
- Thai: ภรรยา (pronounced phan‑ra‑ya)
- Vietnamese: vợ (pronounced vuh)
- Indonesian: istri (pronounced is‑tree)
- Malay: isteri (pronounced is‑te‑ree)
- Khmer (Cambodian): ប្រពន្ធ (pronounced pro‑pont)
- Burmese (Myanmar): မိန်းမ (pronounced main‑ma)
- Kazakh: әйелі (pronounced a‑ye‑li)
- Uzbek: xotin (pronounced ho‑tin)
- Turkmen: aýaly (pronounced ay‑a‑li)
- Tajik: зан (pronounced zan)
- Arabic: زوجة (pronounced zaw‑ja)
- Hebrew: אשה (pronounced e‑sha)
- Persian (Farsi): زن (pronounced zan)
- Turkish: eş (pronounced esh)
- Kurdish (Sorani): هاوسەر (pronounced haw‑sar)
- Swahili: mke (pronounced m‑keh)
- Zulu: unkosikazi (pronounced un‑ko‑si‑ka‑zi)
- Afrikaans: vrou (pronounced frow)
- Yoruba: iyawo (pronounced i‑ya‑wo)
- Igbo: nwunye (pronounced nwoo‑nye)
- Hausa: mata (pronounced ma‑taa)
- Somali: xaas (pronounced khaas)
- Filipino (Tagalog): asawa (pronounced a‑sa‑wa)
- Cebuano: asawa (pronounced a‑sa‑wa)
- Maori: wahine (pronounced wa‑hee‑ne)
- Hawaiian: wahine (pronounced wa‑hee‑nay)
- Javanese: bojo (pronounced bo‑jo)
- Malagasy: vady (pronounced va‑dy)
- Quechua: warmi (pronounced war‑mi)
- Navajo: asdzą́ą́ (pronounced as‑zan)
- Pitjantjatjara: panyku (used for married woman)
- Twi (Ghana): yere (pronounced ye‑re)
- Fijian: watiwai (pronounced wa‑tee‑wai)
- Tongan: fafine tohi (wife) (pronounced fa‑fee‑neh to‑hee)
- Greenlandic: arnaq (pronounced ar‑nak)
- Luxembourgish: Fra (pronounced fra)
- Esperanto: edzino (pronounced ed‑ze‑no)
- Tibetan: མཚན་བྱུང (pronounced tshen‑jung)
- Azerbaijani: arvad (pronounced ar‑vad)
- Kyrgyz: аялдам (pronounced ay‑al‑dam)
- Tatar: хатын (pronounced ha‑tin)
- Pashto: ښځه (pronounced khe‑za)
- Marathi: पत्नी (pronounced pat‑nee)
- Sinhala: බිරිඳ (pronounced bee‑rin‑da)
- Bashkir: хатын (pronounced ha‑tin)
- Shona: mukadzi (pronounced mu‑ka‑dzi)
- Chichewa: mkazi (pronounced m‑ka‑zi)
- Kinyarwanda: umugore (pronounced u‑mu‑go‑re)
- Ewe (Ghana/Togo): vɔfre (pronounced vo‑fre)
- Bambara (Mali): bolo (pronounced bo‑lo)
- Fulfulde (Nigeria): rewte (pronounced re‑wte)
- Wolof: ndeyssa (pronounced n‑day‑ssa)
- Mossi (Burkina Faso): yaare (pronounced ya‑a‑re)
- Tswana: mosadi wa lelapa (wife) (pronounced mo‑sa‑di wa le‑la‑pa)
- Venda: mukadzi (pronounced mu‑ka‑dzi)
- Setswana: mosadi (pronounced mo‑sa‑di)
- Ga (Ghana): yere (pronounced ye‑re)
- Khoekhoe: //garo (pronounced ga‑ro)
- Wolof (Senegal): ndeyssa (pronounced n‑day‑ssa)
- Aymara: wawa warmi (pronounced wa‑wa war‑mi)
- Amis (Taiwan): kalimi (pronounced ka‑lee‑mi‑)
- Cantonese: 太太 (pronounced taai‑taai)
- Haitian Creole: madanm (pronounced ma‑danm)
- Kikuyu: mũhũrũ (pronounced mu‑hu‑ru)
- Ojibwe: ikwe (pronounced i‑kwe)
- Malagasy (repeat): vady (pronounced va‑dy)
- Xhosa: umkazi (pronounced um‑ka‑zi)
- Chechen: хи (pronounced khi)
- Fijian (repeat): watiwai (pronounced wa‑tee‑wai)
- Twi (Akan): yere (pronounced ye‑re)
- Kinyarwanda (repeat): umugore (pronounced u‑mu‑go‑re)
- Kikuyu (repeat): mũhũrũ (pronounced mu‑hu‑ru)
- Kurdish (Kurmanji): jin (pronounced jin)
- Luxembourgish (repeat): Fra (pronounced fra)
- Macedonian (repeat): сопруга (pronounced so‑proo‑ga)
- Sicilian: mugghieri (pronounced mugh‑ye‑ri)
- Corsican: muglieria (pronounced moo‑lye‑ree‑a)
- Asturian: esposa (pronounced es‑po‑sa)
- Cherokee: ᎠᎩᏍᏗ (agisdi, pronounced a‑gis‑di)
- Chuvash: пулах (pronounced pu‑lakh)
- Dholuo (Kenya): idwaro (pronounced id‑wa‑ro)
- Fon (Benin): zoto (pronounced zo‑to)
- Tzotzil (Mexico): renderetik (pronounced ren‑de‑re‑tik)
- Dari (Afghanistan): زن (pronounced zan)
- Inuit (Inuktitut): isiglu (pronounced i‑sig‑lu)
- Zulu (repeat): unkosikazi (pronounced un‑ko‑si‑ka‑zi)
Pronunciation Guide and Cultural Insights
Learning to say “wife” in different languages provides insights into its varied cultural meanings, from elegance to resilience.
Tips for Proper Pronunciation
- Follow Sound Guides: Use phonetic transcriptions to mimic authentic sounds.
- Maintain Consistency: Regular practice develops pronunciation confidence.
- Audio Practice: Utilise language learning apps to listen to native pronunciation.
Cultural Significance
WIFE often carries significant symbolism in various cultures:
- Nurturing and Wisdom: The role of wife is often associated with nurturing care and shared wisdom in family traditions.
- Strength and Devotion: Many societies view wives as symbols of inner strength and unwavering devotion to family.
- Love and Partnership: In many cultures worldwide, a wife represents the foundation of love and lifelong partnership.
Translation, Meaning, and Usage in Sentences
Examples in Different Languages
French
- Translation: Épouse
- Meaning: Wife
- Sentence: Mon épouse est très intelligente. (My wife is very intelligent.)
Russian
- Translation: Жена
- Meaning: Wife
- Sentence: Моя жена работает врачом. (My wife works as a doctor.)
Swahili
- Translation: Mke
- Meaning: Wife
- Sentence: Mke wangu ni mwalimu. (My wife is a teacher.)
Arabic
- Translation: زوجة
- Meaning: Wife
- Sentence: زوجتي تطبخ جيداً. (My wife cooks well.)
Hindi
- Translation: पत्नी
- Meaning: Wife
- Sentence: मेरी पत्नी बहुत दयालु है। (My wife is very kind.)
Final Thoughts
Exploring how to say WIFE in other languages reveals the rich cultural significance and universal importance of partnership and family.
Each translation conveys more than just the term and reflects unique cultural meanings—wife may symbolise love and companionship in some cultures, while representing strength, wisdom, or family foundation in others.
Understanding these nuances connects you with diverse perspectives on marriage, relationships, and family structures, making language learning a deeper, more meaningful journey.
Whether for travel, relationship building, or cultural appreciation, knowing how to express “wife” across languages enriches your understanding of this fundamental human bond.
Embrace these translations to strengthen your cross-cultural knowledge and add depth to your interactions with families and communities worldwide.
Source: Ethnologue Language Database
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