Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 老婆 | lou⁵ po⁴ | |
| 妻子 | cai¹ zi² | formal |
| 太太 | polite |
The term refers to a female partner in a marriage.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 老婆 literally translates to 'old woman', though it is used affectionately for 'wife' in modern Cantonese.
Which one should you use?
老婆 is the most common, colloquial way to say wife in daily conversation. In contrast, 妻子 is a formal term used primarily in written language or official contexts. 太太 is a polite way to refer to someone else's wife or to use as a respectful title. Additionally, 太太 can be used as a standalone title to address a married woman politely, similar to 'Madam'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
太太 is the polite and respectful option, while 妻子 is reserved for formal or written situations. There is also a slang term, 屋企女人, which means 'woman of the house' or 'my woman'.
How do you pronounce it?
lou⁵ po⁴
Did you know?
- In very traditional or old-fashioned Cantonese families, a husband might refer to his wife as 內子, meaning 'the inner one'. This refers to the historical custom of women staying within the inner quarters of the home.
- While 老婆 literally means 'old woman', its counterpart for 'husband', 老公, literally means 'old man'. Using 'old' in this context denotes a lasting, lifelong bond rather than actual age.
- The term 太太 is a reduplication of 太, meaning 'too' or 'great'. Historically, this structure was used to create formal titles for women of high social status.
Examples in context
- 帶埋你老婆嚟吖。Bring your wife.This sentence shows how to use 老婆 when asking someone to bring their wife.Tatoeba #5795830 by nickyeow, translation #2245022 by CK
- 你仲愛唔愛你老婆呀？Do you still love your wife?This sentence uses 老婆 to ask about feelings toward a wife.Tatoeba #7988171 by nickyeow, translation #2144674 by oneconor
- 死咗老婆嘅人叫做鰥夫。A man whose wife is dead is called a widower.This sentence uses 老婆 to explain a term for a man whose wife has died.Tatoeba #400175 by nickyeow, translation #244106 by CK
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ka Ming is introducing his wife to a friend.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan佢係邊個呀？keoi5 si6 bin1 go3 aa3?Who is this?
- 家明 Ka Ming呢個係我老婆。ni1 go3 si6 ngo5 lou5 po4.This is my wife.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan你好！好高興見到你。nei5 hou2!Hello! Nice to meet you.
- 家明 Ka Ming我老婆都好高興見到你。ngo5 lou5 po4 dou1 hou2 gou1 hing3 gin3 dou2 nei5.My wife is also happy to meet you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wife” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
