専業主婦

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: The spelling is 専業主婦, read せんぎょうしゅふ, and it combines 専業, meaning full-time occupation, with 主婦, meaning homemaker or housewife.
• Basic usage: The basic sense of 専業主婦 is a woman whose primary work is managing the home and caring for family without concurrently holding paid employment.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A present role and a former status
  • Both examples use the form 専業主婦. 専業主婦として presents it as an ongoing role, while 専業主婦だった marks it as a past status that later changed.
• Years of family support and work after the children grew up
  • 母は長く専業主婦として家族を支えてきた。 — My mother supported our family for many years as a full-time homemaker.
  • 専業主婦だった彼女は子どもが成長してから仕事を始めた。 — She had been a full-time homemaker and began working after her children grew up.