1.
wife (humble)
A humble way to refer to one's own wife when speaking to others. This is a traditional term used by men when referring to their wives.
家内 literally means 'inside the house' and is a humble term (謙譲語) traditionally used by husbands to refer to their own wives when speaking to others.
REGISTER:
Considered somewhat old-fashioned by younger speakers. Like 主人, it can imply traditional gender roles. Modern speakers often prefer 妻 as a more neutral alternative.
RELATED TERMS:
- 妻: wife (neutral, modern preferred term)
- 奥さん: someone else's wife (respectful)
- 女房: wife (casual, male speech)
- 嫁: wife (informal, regional)
USAGE NOTE:
家内 is only used to refer to one's own wife. For someone else's wife, use 奥さん or 奥様. Still commonly heard among older men and in formal business introductions.