-夫人
-fūrén
The English phrase "Mrs." can be translated into Chinese as -夫人 (-fūrén) or -太太.
Meaning: title before a woman's name (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| -夫人 | -fūrén |
| -太太 | -tàitài |
Both forms serve as titles for married women. -夫人 is a formal term used to address a married woman, often equivalent to "Madam" or "Mrs.", while -太太 is also used to address someone as "Mrs."
Which one should you use?
-夫人 is more formal and carries a sense of higher social status or respect than -太太.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using these titles with a surname, the surname is placed before the title, such as 王太太 (Mrs. Wang).
How do you pronounce it?
-fūrén
When do people say it?
The term -夫人 is frequently used in diplomatic contexts or to refer to the wives of high-ranking officials.
Did you know?
- Historically, 夫人 was a rank in the imperial court, meaning it was once a legal title granted by the emperor rather than a general social courtesy.
- The term 太太 (tài tai) contains the character 太, which means 'great' or 'extreme', suggesting a historical weight of high social standing.
- In some contexts, 太太 is used in the phrase 太太太 to create a playful pun, as the word for 'too much' is also 太.
Examples in context
- 夫人，你好！Mrs./Madam, hello!
- 尊敬的张夫人：Respected Mrs. Zhang
- 尊敬的黄女士，您好：Respected Mrs. Huang, hello
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mrs” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
