夫人

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 夫人(ふじん) is a formal way to refer to another person's wife.
• Basic usage: It describes the ambassador's wife visiting a school.
  • 大使夫人は、地域の学校を訪問した。

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Following a name or title
  • It follows a name or title, as in 大使夫人, to identify whose wife is meant. 妻(つま) is the usual neutral word when referring to one's own wife.
• The homophone 婦人
  • 婦人 is also read ふじん, but refers to an adult woman. It is written differently from 夫人, which identifies a marital relationship.