妃(きさき)

きさき

noun

empress consort; queen consort

1. empress consort; queen consort; royal wife

The wife of an emperor or king. In Japanese history, refers specifically to the consort of the emperor.

王(おう)は妃(きさき)を迎(むか)えた。

The king took a consort.

妃(きさき)は宮殿(きゅうでん)の庭(にわ)を散歩(さんぽ)していた。

The queen consort was strolling through the palace garden.

物語(ものがたり)の中(なか)で、若(わか)い妃(きさき)は国(くに)の運命(うんめい)を左右(さゆう)する決断(けつだん)を下(くだ)した。

In the story, the young queen made a decision that determined the fate of the country.

USAGE: 妃(きさき) is a classical and literary term. In modern Japanese, 皇后(こうごう) is more commonly used for the empress consort.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

妃(きさき)を迎(むか)える (to take a consort)
王妃(おうひ) (queen consort — uses on'yomi ひ)
皇太子妃(こうたいしひ) (crown princess)

The kanji 妃(きさき) has two readings: きさき as a standalone word and ひ in compounds such as 王妃(おうひ) and 妃殿下(ひでんか). The standalone reading きさき has a classical, dignified tone and appears frequently in historical texts and fairy tales.

general

Added 2026.3.3 20:19

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