noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
Formal or technical term for pairing or combining things, often used in compound words like 配偶子 (gamete) or 配偶行動 (mating behavior). Rarely used alone in everyday speech.
生物学では、配偶子の形成と配偶について学ぶ。
In biology, we learn about the formation of gametes and their combination.
noun
spouse; husband or wife; partner
Formal term for one's spouse; used in legal documents, official forms, and polite conversation. In casual contexts, 夫 (husband) or 妻 (wife) are more common.
配偶者の有無を記入してください。
Please indicate whether you have a spouse.
彼は配偶者を亡くしてから一人暮らしだ。
He has been living alone since losing his spouse.
noun
married couple; husband and wife
Refers to a married pair as a unit. Often used in formal or statistical contexts, such as 配偶関係 (marital status) or 配偶者控除 (spousal tax deduction).
この調査では、配偶のいる世帯の割合が高い。
In this survey, the proportion of households with a married couple is high.