主婦
shufu[ɕɨɸɯ̟]
The English phrase 'homemaker' is translated into Japanese as 主婦 (shufu).
主婦 is a noun used to describe a person who maintains their residence.
Meaning: person who maintains his or her residence (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the characters for 'master/lord' (主) and 'woman' (婦).
Which one should you use?
While 主婦 refers to a female homemaker, the word 主夫 is used for a male homemaker, despite being pronounced the same way.
How do you pronounce it?
shufu
Did you know?
- In Japan, the phrase 主婦の知恵 means 'housewife's wisdom' and refers to traditional life hacks and clever domestic shortcuts passed down through generations.
- Although 主夫 and 主婦 are pronounced the same, the male version 主夫 is a relatively recent linguistic development to reflect changing gender roles in Japanese society.
- In Japanese bureaucratic forms, the category for 主婦 often separates people not by their daily activities, but by their status as a dependent for tax and health insurance purposes.
Examples in context
- 彼女は専業主婦です。Kanojo wa sengyō shufu desu.She is a full-time homemaker.
- 私の母は主婦です。Watashi no haha wa shufu desu.My mother is a homemaker.
- 主婦の仕事は大変です。Shufu no shigoto wa taihen desu.The work of a homemaker is hard.
Example conversation
Yui and Yota are talking about Yui's mother's daily life.
- 結衣 Yuiお母さんは今、何をしていますか？Okāsan wa ima, nani o shite imasu ka?What is your mother doing now?
- 陽太 Yota今は主婦として家事をしています。Ima wa shufu to shite kaji o shite imasu.She is a homemaker doing housework now.
- 結衣 Yui毎日とても忙しそうですね。Mainichi totemo isogashisō desu ne.She seems very busy every day.
- 陽太 Yotaはい、本当に大変だと思います。Hai, hontō ni taihen da to omoimasu.Yes, I think it is really tough.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 主婦, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
