妻

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 妻, read つま, is a single kinship noun denoting a female spouse in marriage.
• Basic usage: It commonly denotes one's own female spouse, as in 妻と店を開く.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Tone and register
  • For another person's wife, a polite form such as 奥さん is usual; 妻 is a neutral term for one's own spouse.