新婦
shinpu[ɕĩmpɯ̟]
In Japanese, the word for bride is 新婦 (shinpu). Wiktionary also lists 嫁 (yome).
Meaning: woman in the context of her own wedding (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 新婦 | shinpu | [ɕĩmpɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 嫁 | yome | [jo̞me̞] (narrow) |
The term refers to a woman in the context of her own wedding.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 新婦 is composed of the characters for 'new' and 'wife'.
Which one should you use?
新婦 is a formal term used for official contexts like wedding announcements. In contrast, 嫁 is a colloquial term that can mean 'bride' in a romantic context, but it also commonly refers to a 'daughter-in-law' in a family context.
How do you pronounce it?
shinpu
Did you know?
- The word 嫁 is thought by some linguists to be derived from the character for 'night', hinting at a woman's traditional role in the marital bed.
- While 新婦 refers specifically to the bride, the corresponding term for the groom is 新郎, which uses the character for 'husband'.
- The colloquial term 嫁 can be used to describe a 'daughter-in-law' regardless of whether she is currently a bride or has been married for decades.
Examples in context
- 花嫁はたいへん美しく見えた。The bride looked very beautiful.This sentence shows how to describe a bride using 嫁.Tatoeba #186596 by bunbuku, translation #23732 by CK
- あなたのお嫁さんになりたかった。I wanted to be your bride.This sentence shows how to express a desire to be someone's bride using お嫁さん.Tatoeba #8726795 by small_snow, translation #10234317 by terrywallwork
- 彼女は花嫁のような衣装を着ている。She is dressed like a bride.This sentence uses 嫁 to compare someone's clothing to a bride's.Tatoeba #90800 by bunbuku, translation #312912 by CK
- 彼女は美しい花嫁です。She is a beautiful bride.
- おめでとう！お嫁さんになるんだね。Congratulations! You're becoming a bride.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiyori and Ren are attending a wedding ceremony.
- 陽葵 Himari見て、新婦が入場してきたよ。Mite, shinpu ga nyūjō shite kita yo.Look, the bride has entered.
- 蓮 Ren本当に綺麗でびっくりしたね。Hontō ni kirei de bikkuri shita ne.She's so beautiful it's surprising, isn't it?
- 陽葵 Himariドレスがとても似合っていると思う。Doresu ga totemo niatte iru to omou.I think the dress suits her very well.
- 蓮 Renそうだね。最高の新婦だね。Sō da ne. Saikō no shinpu da ne.You're right. She's the best bride.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bride” translations and entries 新婦, 嫁, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 嫁, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
