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内妻 (naisai) Japanese meaning: common-law wife | Kotomora

内ない妻さい

な

い

さ

い

Meanings

1

common-law wife; de facto wife

Refers to a woman who lives with a man in a marital relationship without being legally married. The term is used in legal and everyday contexts.

彼かれは内ない妻さいと10年ねん以い上じょう一いっ緒しょに暮くらしている。
He has been living with his common-law wife for over ten years.

Kanji

内inside, within, between
妻wife, spouse

Related words

内ない縁えんの妻つま
More explicit and formal term for a common-law wife, literally 'wife of a de facto marriage'. 内妻 is a shorter, less formal equivalent.
事じ実じつ婚こん
Refers to the de facto marriage itself, not the spouse. 内妻 specifically denotes the female partner.

Etymology

Compound of 内 (nai, 'inside' or 'unofficial') and 妻 (sai, 'wife'), literally meaning 'unofficial wife'. The term likely emerged in modern Japanese legal and social contexts to describe a woman in a common-law marriage.

内ない妻さいにも相そう続ぞく権けんが認みとめられる場ば合あいがある。

A common-law wife may be granted inheritance rights in some cases.