Ways to say it
| Korean | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 아내 | anae | [a̠nɛ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [a̠ne̞] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
humble |
| 집사람 | jipsaram | [t͡ɕips͈a̠ɾa̠m] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | humble |
| 안사람 | ansaram | [a̠ns͈a̠ɾa̠m] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | humble |
| 마누라 | manura | [ˈma̠(ː)nuɾa̠] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | humble |
| 부인 | bu'in | [puin] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [ˈpu(ː)in] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
honorific |
| 안해 | anhae | [a̠nɦɛ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) [a̠nɦe̞] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) |
North Korea, humble |
| 와이프 | waipeu | [wa̠ipʰɯ] (SK Standard, Seoul, narrow) | South Korea, colloquial, humble |
Most forms are used when a speaker is speaking humbly about their own wife to others. For example, when speaking about your own spouse, you would use 아내, 집사람 or 안사람.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 집사람 literally means 'house person', while 안사람 literally means 'inside person'.
Which one should you use?
While 아내 is used to refer to one's own wife in a humble way, 부인 is used to refer to someone else's wife to show respect. For more casual settings in South Korea, the English loanword 와이프 is often used. On the other hand, 마누라 is a very casual, often slightly blunt or derogatory way to refer to one's wife and should be used with caution.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
아내, 집사람 and 안사람 are humble forms. 부인 is the honorific form. 와이프 is a colloquial loanword, and 마누라 is an informal, blunt term.
Is it said differently in some regions?
안해 is a humble form used specifically in North Korea. 와이프 is a common colloquialism used in South Korea.
How do you pronounce it?
anae
When do people say it?
In addition to nouns for wife, married couples often use affectionate terms to address one another directly.
Did you know?
- The word 마누라 was originally a highly respectful title for noblewomen and royalty before it shifted to become a blunt or derogatory term.
- The word 집사람 shares a linguistic root with the word 계집, which is a highly derogatory term for a woman in modern Korean.
- The loanword 와이프 is often used by younger generations to avoid the traditional gender roles and house-centric meanings implied by 집사람 and 안사람.
Examples in context
- 난 내 아내와 함께 늙고 싶어.I want to grow old with my wife.This sentence shows how to use 아내 to express a desire to grow old with one's spouse.Tatoeba #8366852 by Eunhee, translation #5193502 by CK
- 내 아내는 파란 드레스를 입고 있어.My wife is wearing a blue dress.This sentence uses 아내 to describe what one's wife is wearing.Tatoeba #8364866 by Eunhee, translation #1194209 by CM
- 톰이 자기 아내랑 올까, 아니면 혼자 올까?Will Tom come with his wife, or alone?This sentence uses 아내 to ask if someone is coming with their wife.Tatoeba #8360725 by Eunhee, translation #7033468 by timoteojohano
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Seoyeon and Jihun are talking about Jihun's family.
- 서연 Seo-yeon지훈 씨, 아내분은 요즘 어떻게 지내세요?Jihun ssi, anaebuneun yojeum eotteoke jinaeseyo?Jihun, how has your wife been doing lately?
- 지훈 Ji-hun제 아내는 요즘 회사 일이 아주 바빠요.Je anaeneun yojeum hoesa iri aju bappayo.My wife is very busy with work these days.
- 서연 Seo-yeon정말 고생이 많으시겠어요.Jeongmal gosaengi maneusigesseoyo.She must be going through a lot.
- 지훈 Ji-hun네, 그래도 아내가 보람을 느끼고 있어요.Ne, geuraedo anaega borameul neukkigo isseoyo.Yes, but my wife finds it rewarding.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wife” translations and entries 아내, 집사람, 안사람, 마누라, 부인, 안해, 와이프, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
