Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 夫 | otto | [o̞t̚to̞] (narrow) [t͡sɨma̠] (narrow) |
|
| 旦那 | danna | [dã̠nːa̠] (narrow) | |
| 亭主 | teishu | [te̞ːɕɨ] (narrow) | |
| 主人 | shujin | [ɕɨʑĩɴ] (narrow) | humble |
| ハズバンド | hazubando | [ha̠zɨbã̠ndo̞] (narrow) | |
| ハズ | hazu | ||
| ご主人 | go-shujin | [ɡo̞ɕɨʑĩɴ] (narrow) | honorific |
In Japanese, there are several ways to say husband depending on whether you are talking about your own spouse or someone else's and the level of politeness required.
Which one should you use?
Use 夫 (otto) when referring to your own husband in a neutral or formal context. To refer to your own husband humbly, you can use 主人 (shujin). When talking about someone else's husband, use the honorific ご主人 (go-shujin) to show respect or the more casual/old-fashioned 旦那 (danna).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
夫 (otto) is a formal and objective way to refer to a husband. 主人 (shujin) is a polite way to refer to one's own husband, while ご主人 (go-shujin) is an honorific term used for someone else's husband. 旦那 (danna) is a colloquial way to refer to someone else's husband or can be used for one's own depending on the context. ハズバンド (hazubando) is a loanword that is occasionally used in modern Japanese but is much less common than native terms.
How do you pronounce it?
otto
Did you know?
- The word 旦那 (danna) is not originally Japanese. It is a transliteration of the Sanskrit word dāna, which means 'generosity' or 'giving', and it is related to the English words 'donate' and 'donor'.
- The term 主人 (shujin), often used to mean 'husband', literally translates to 'master' or 'owner' of a house. This reflects a historical social structure where the head of the household was viewed through this lens.
- The term 旦那 (danna) is so common in casual speech that it is also frequently used to refer to a 'boss' or a 'patron' in certain commercial contexts.
Examples in context
- 夫はいい人よ。My husband is a good man.This sentence shows how to use 夫 to describe your husband.Tatoeba #9029056 by small_snow, translation #2230333 by Hybrid
- 旦那様はどこ？Where's your husband?This sentence demonstrates the use of 旦那 when asking about someone else's husband.Tatoeba #11875931 by small_snow, translation #9969392 by ddnktr
- 私達は夫婦です。We are husband and wife.This sentence uses 夫 to express the concept of a husband and wife.Tatoeba #151293 by small_snow, translation #263263 by CK
- 私の夫は日本人です。My husband is Japanese.
- 主人と一緒に旅行に行きます。I'm going on a trip with my husband.
- 旦那さん、今日は一緒に映画を見ない？Honey, do you want to watch a movie together today?
- 141 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui is talking to Yota about her family.
- 結衣 Yui夫は会社員です。Otto wa kaishain desu.My husband is an office worker.
- 陽太 Yotaそうなんですね。Sō nan desu ne.I see.
- 結衣 Yui夫と一緒に旅行に行きます。Otto to issho ni ryokō ni ikimasu.I am going on a trip with my husband.
- 陽太 Yotaいいですね！Ii desu ne!That sounds lovely!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “husband” translations and entries 夫, 旦那, 亭主, 主人, ハズバンド, ハズ, ご主人, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 主人, 夫, 旦那, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
