Meaning

Primary

Royal Consort

Alternatives

Queen, Princess, Empress

Word Type

noun

Explanation

The kanji and the vocabulary are exactly the same, so this means royal consort. Depending on who she's married to, she could be a queen, a princess, or even an empress.

can overlap in meaning with , but is reserved for the highest-ranking consort, like an empress or queen, while is a more general word which includes lower-ranking consorts and the wives of other royal family members. In modern Japanese, the kana version きさき often appears in fairytale-style stories with kings and queens. But it's good to know both kanji, especially if you're reading anything historical.

Reading

きさき
  • Miyuki
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

How do you know someone is a royal consort? Because they kiss a king (きさき). If you kiss a king, maybe you can be a royal consort too!

Context

Patterns of Use

Common Word Combinations

  • お妃

    Royal Consort

Context Sentences

帝が新しい妃を迎えるという噂が広まっていた。

Rumors were spreading that the emperor would take a new consort.

彼女は国王の妃として人々に敬愛されていました。

She was loved by the people as the king's consort.

お妃様は静かに本を読みながら午後をお過ごしになられました。

Her Majesty spent the afternoon quietly reading a book.

Kanji Composition