夫人
Meanings
1
Honorific term for someone else's wife, or used as a suffix after a surname to mean 'Mrs'. Not used for one's own wife.
Mrs. Tanaka is a very kind person.
The company president's wife attended the party.
2
wife of a nobleman
archaic
Archaic use referring specifically to the wife of a nobleman.
In the ancient documents, there is a description of that nobleman's wife.
3
imperial consort of the third rank
archaic
Only with reading ぶにん
Archaic term from the ritsuryō system for a consort of the emperor of the third rank. Also read ぶにん.
Under the ritsuryō system, 夫人 (ぶにん) was one of the ranks of imperial consorts.
Usage patterns
- 〈人〉夫人Mrs. ~ (attached after a surname as an honorific)
Mrs. Smith came to the party.