married couple; husband and wife
Dated term for a married couple. Modern Japanese more commonly uses 夫婦 (ふうふ). Still encountered in traditional contexts, set phrases, and older literature.
See also: 夫婦 (ふうふ)
That married couple always gets along well.
his and hers set; pair for a couple
Used as a prefix in compound nouns to indicate a matching pair of items, typically one larger (for the husband) and one smaller (for the wife). Common in traditional crafts like 夫婦茶碗 (his-and-hers teacups).
See also: 夫婦茶碗
The husband and wife went on a hot spring trip together.
I gave a set of his-and-hers teacups as a wedding gift.
These his-and-hers chopsticks are slightly different in length.
The standard modern word for 'married couple'. めおと is a dated variant with a more traditional or rustic feel.
Standard kanji spelling for the reading めおと. This is the most common written form.
Rarely used kanji form; uses 女 (woman) instead of 妻 (wife).
Kana spelling is sometimes used, especially in casual or explanatory contexts.
Rarely used kanji form; the character order is reversed compared to 夫婦.
The reading めおと is a compound of 女 (me, 'woman/wife') and 男 (oto, 'man/husband'), reflecting the older pairing of the two characters. The kanji spellings 夫婦, 妻夫, and 女夫 all represent the same word, with 夫婦 being the most common. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the word has been used since at least the Heian period.