后きさき

き

さ

き

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

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.

王おうの后きさきは民たみに慕したわれていた。
The king's consort was loved by the people.
昔むかし、后きさきは宮きゅう中ちゅうで重じゅう要ような役やく割わりを果はたした。
In the past, the empress consort played an important role at court.

See all 15 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉の后きさきとなるto become the empress consort of (an emperor)
彼かの女じょは若わかくして天皇てんのうの后きさきとなった。
She became the emperor's consort at a young age.
后きさきを迎むかえるto take (a woman) as one's empress consort
新あたらしい天皇てんのうは隣りん国ごくの王おう女じょを后きさきに迎むかえた。
The new emperor took the princess of the neighboring country as his consort.

Kanji

后empress, queen, after
妃queen, princess

Related words

皇こう后ごうN1
皇后 is the standard modern term for the Japanese empress consort, while 后 is a more formal or historical word for the same role.
妃ひ
妃 can refer to the consort of a prince or lesser royal, while 后 specifically denotes the consort of an emperor or king.
王おう妃ひ
妃 is a broader, more literary word for a monarch's consort, while 王妃 specifically pairs the consort with a 王 (king).

Don't confuse with

女じょ王おうN3
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.

Word family

后きさき町まち
women's pavilion; consorts' hall

Written forms

后きさきUsage38%
Standard kanji spelling for empress or queen consort.
きさきUsage47%
キサキUsage12%
妃きさきUsage3%
Alternate kanji spelling, also used for imperial consorts.

Etymology

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.