אישה
ishá/ʔiʃˈʃa/feminine
The Hebrew word for wife is אישה (ishá). Wiktionary also lists בַּת זוּג (bat zúg).
Meaning: female partner in a marriage (noun)
Ways to say it
| Hebrew | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| אישה | ishá | /ʔiʃˈʃa/ /ʔiʃˈʃɔː/ |
feminine |
| בַּת זוּג | bat zúg | feminine |
אישה is used to refer to a female partner in a marriage. Note that this same word is also the general term for 'woman'.
Which one should you use?
While אישה can mean both 'woman' and 'wife', the term בת זוג is a more specific way to say 'female partner' or 'spouse' to avoid the ambiguity of the word 'woman'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both אישה and בת זוג are feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
ishá
Did you know?
- The term בת זוג literally translates to 'daughter of a pair', which is used to mean 'partner'.
- If you see the letters for 'wife' and 'fire' in Hebrew, they are nearly identical, as אישה shares a visual resemblance to the word אֵשׁ, meaning 'fire'.
- The word אישה is not actually derived from the word for 'man' איש, even though they sound almost identical in modern Hebrew.
Examples in context
- טום לא רצה אישה.Tom didn't want a wife.This sentence shows how to use אישה to express that someone did not want a wife.Tatoeba #2912801 by Ramiav, translation #2279387 by CK
- את תהיי אישה טובה.You'd make a good wife.This sentence uses אישה to describe the qualities of a good wife.Tatoeba #11312171 by mutskt, translation #8812702 by Amastan
- יש לי אישה בבוסטון.I have a wife back home in Boston.This sentence uses אישה to state that someone has a wife in a specific location.Tatoeba #5656312 by fekundulo, translation #3725827 by CM
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rotem and Noam are talking about a party.
- רוטם Rotemהאם תביא את אישה למסיבה?Ha'im tavi et isha la-mesiba?Will you bring your wife to the party?
- נועם Noamכן, היא תבוא איתי.Ken, hi tavo iti.Yes, she will come with me.
- רוטם Rotemאני אשמח לראות את אישה שלך.Ani esmach lir'ot et isha shelcha.I would be happy to see your wife.
- נועם Noamגם היא רוצה לפגוש אותך.Gam hi rotza lifgosh otcha.She also wants to meet you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wife” translations and entries אישה, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries אישה, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
