1.
spouse; marriage partner; husband or wife
A formal, gender-neutral term for one's legally married partner. Used in official documents, legal contexts, and formal discussions.
配偶者はいますか。
Do you have a spouse?
配偶者の名前を記入してください。
Please enter your spouse's name.
配偶者ビザで日本に滞在している。
I'm staying in Japan on a spouse visa.
配偶者控除を申請する。
I'm applying for the spouse tax deduction.
書類に配偶者の有無を書く欄がある。
There is a field on the form for indicating whether you have a spouse.
KANJI BREAKDOWN:
- 配 - distribute, match
- 偶 - pair, couple
- 者 - person
FORMAL USAGE:
配偶者 is primarily used in:
- 公式書類 - official documents
- 法律 - legal contexts
- 税金 - tax matters
- ビザ申請 - visa applications
COMMON COMPOUNDS:
- 配偶者控除 - spouse tax deduction
- 配偶者ビザ - spouse visa
- 配偶者手当 - spouse allowance
EVERYDAY ALTERNATIVES:
- 夫/妻 - husband/wife
- 旦那/奥さん - husband/wife (casual)
- 主人/家内 - husband/wife (humble)
- パートナー - partner
GENDER NEUTRALITY:
配偶者 is useful as a gender-neutral term that refers to either husband or wife without specifying.
REGISTER:
Formal. Used in official, legal, and administrative contexts. Not typically used in casual conversation.