empress consort; queen consort
Refers specifically to the wife of an emperor or king, not a reigning monarch. In modern contexts, often used for the Japanese empress.
The king's consort was loved by the people.
She became the emperor's consort at a young age.
In the past, the empress consort played an important role at court.
The new emperor took the princess of the neighboring country as his consort.
妃 can refer to the consort of a prince or lesser royal, while 后 specifically denotes the consort of an emperor or king.
妃 is a broader, more literary word for a monarch's consort, while 王妃 specifically pairs the consort with a 王 (king).
女王 is a reigning queen who rules in her own right, whereas 后 is only the wife of a ruling emperor or king and holds no sovereign power.
women's pavilion; consorts' hall
Standard kanji spelling for empress or queen consort.
Alternate kanji spelling, also used for imperial consorts.
The kanji 后 and 妃 both historically denote a ruler's wife. The reading きさき is of native Japanese origin, with uncertain derivation.