همسر
hamsar/ham.ˈsar/
The Persian word for wife is همسر (hamsar).
همسر is used to refer to a female partner in a marriage. While it is commonly used for a wife, it is actually a gender-neutral term that can mean either spouse, including a husband.
Meaning: female partner in a marriage (noun)
Which one should you use?
The term همسر can mean both wife and husband (spouse). If you want to use more specific or different registers, you might use شریک زندگی to mean life partner or زنم to mean my wife.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say 'my wife', add the suffix -am to the end of همسر to get همسرم. To say 'his wife' or 'her wife', add the suffix -ash to the end of همسر to get همسرش.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ham.ˈsar/. It has two syllables, with the stress on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- The word همسر is built from two parts: هم meaning 'together' and سر meaning 'head'. Literally, it translates to 'same head' or 'one head'.
- In very formal or poetic Persian, you might encounter the term گل (flower) or other metaphors to refer to a wife, reflecting a different cultural way of expressing endearment.
- While همسر is polite and formal, using the word زن (woman/wife) to refer to one's spouse can sometimes sound overly blunt or informal in social settings.
Examples in context
- تام دارد همسرش را می بوسد.Tom is kissing his wife.This sentence shows how to use همسر to describe someone kissing his wife.Tatoeba #7745979 by mshahriarinia, translation #1662641 by Amastan
- همسرم تازه میز را پاک کرده است.My wife has just cleared the table.This sentence shows how to use همسر to talk about a wife clearing a table.Tatoeba #705557 by mahdiye, translation #244128 by CK
- دلش باز شد بعد از اینکه با همسرش در ایستگاه قطار ملاقات کرد.He was delighted after he visited his wife in the train station.This sentence shows how to use همسر to describe a man visiting his wife.Tatoeba #1020341 by mahdiye, translation #1020336 by mahdiye
- نام همسرم سارا است.My wife's name is Sara.
- از وقت گذراندن با همسرم خیلی لذت می‌برم.I love spending time with my wife.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Amir is introducing his wife to Sara.
- امیر Amirسارا، این همسر من است.Sara, in hamsar-e man ast.Sara, this is my wife.
- سارا Saraاز آشنایی با شما خوشبختم.Az ashnayi ba shoma khoshbakhtam.Nice to meet you.
- امیر Amirهمسر من هم معلم است.Hamsar-e man ham moallem ast.My wife is also a teacher.
- سارا Saraچه جالب! من هم معلم هستم.Che jaleb! Man ham moallem hastam.How interesting! I am a teacher too.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry همسر, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries همسر, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
