ภริยา
wife [formal]
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- 1 wife [formal]、female spouse [formal]
This is a formal word for a wife or female spouse, used mainly in legal, official, or old-fashioned writing.
wife [formal]、female spouse [formal]
A married woman described as someone’s wife in formal, legal, official, or old-fashioned language.
Learning notes
Explanation
ภริยา is a noun meaning a woman’s status as someone’s wife or female spouse. It is found chiefly in laws, official records, formal biographical descriptions, and older writing rather than ordinary conversation. It commonly appears in สามีภริยา, meaning “husband and wife” or “married couple.” When counting people referred to by this word, the classifier is คน.
Usage
It is used in laws concerning marriage, divorce, marital duties, or property, as well as in official introductions and older biographical writing. In ordinary conversation, speakers generally choose ภรรยา or the more casual เมีย instead.
Caution
ภริยา describes the relationship “wife”; it is not a respectful form of address or a title equivalent to “Mrs.” Do not use it before a woman’s name or when addressing her directly.
Differences from similar words
1 wife [formal] synonyms
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ภรรยา is the standard modern formal word for “wife” and is more widely used. ภริยา is more strongly associated with legal, official, or old-fashioned writing.
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เมีย is a common conversational word for “wife” and has a casual tone. ภริยา is much more formal and may sound overly legalistic or old-fashioned in everyday speech.