waifu

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Germanic *wībą

Proto-West Germanic *wīb

Old English wīf

Middle English wyf

English wifebor.

Japanese ワイフ (waifu)bor.

English waifu

Borrowed from Japanese ワイフ (waifu), borrowed from English wife. Doublet of wife. Compare husbando.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈwaɪ.fuː/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈwaɪ.fu/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪfuː

Noun

waifu (plural waifu or waifus)

1. (fandom slang, Internet slang) A female fictional character from non-live-action visual media (typically an anime, manga, or video game) or non-fictional persona to whom one is romantically attracted and/or whom one considers one's wife.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:wife

   Coordinate term: husbando

   • 2008 October 30, Galen, “Re: Japanese launch campaign to marry comic book characters”, in rec.arts.manga‎^[1] (Usenet):

     So long as I get to claim my virtual waifu and our 30 virtual children as tax deductions, I don't really care if I can't touch her.

   • 2009 December 31, Dave Watson, “Re: K-ON! 2nd season announced”, in rec.arts.anime.misc‎^[2] (Usenet):

     Seriously, it was fun, but here's hoping that they lay off some of the bits that got old real quick, like Mio getting scared easily. I would not like to have someone that timid as "mai waifu" (as if I'd marry a bloody high school girl anyway). Makes me wonder what that says about the otaku who worship her.

   • 2012, Dani Cavallaro, Kyoto Animation: A Critical Study and Filmography, McFarland & Company, published 2012, →ISBN, page 126:

     Bradley Meek’s portrayal of Lucky☆Star’s^[sic] protagonist is particularly worthy of notice in assessing the anime’s take on the art-play dyad: “Konata Izumi is a high school otaku hardcore enough to know trivia about seventies giant robot and tokusatsu shows,” the critic proposes, “but not hardcore enough to own a bodypillow of her waifu [a 2D significant other]. […]

   • 2025 July 16, David Ingram, “Musk's Grok 'companions' include a flirty anime character and an anti-religion panda”, in NBC News‎^[3], archived from the original on 19 September 2026:

     “Literally no one asked us to launch waifus, but we did so anyway,” wrote Ebby Amir, whose X account has a label saying he’s an xAI employee.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:waifu.

Derived terms

• boyfu
• waifu pillow

Related terms

• mai (“my”)

Translations

fictional character to whom one is attracted to

• Arabic: وايفو f (wāyfu)
• Azerbaijani: vayfu
• Bengali: ওয়াইফু (bn) (ōẇaiphu)
• Bulgarian: вайфу f (vajfu)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 老婆 (zh) (lǎopo), 嫁 (jià)

• Finnish: waifu (fi)
• French: waifu (fr) f
• Hindi: वाइफ़ु f (vāifu)
• Italian: waifu f
• Japanese: 嫁 (ja) (よめ, yome)
• Persian: وایفو (vaifu)
• Polish: waifu
• Portuguese: waifu (pt) f
• Romanian: waifu f
• Russian: ва́йфу (ru) f (vájfu)
• Spanish: waifu (es) f
• Thai: ไวฟุ (th) (wāi-fú)
• Turkish: waifu

Finnish

Etymology

From English waifu, from Japanese ワイフ (waifu), in turn an adaptation of English wife.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwɑi̯fu/, [ˈwɑ̝i̯fu]
• IPA^(key): /ˈʋɑi̯fu/, [ˈʋɑ̝i̯fu]
• Rhymes: -ɑifu
• Syllabification^(key): wai‧fu
• Hyphenation^(key): wai‧fu

Noun

waifu

1. (fandom slang) waifu

Declension

Inflection of waifu (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		waifu	waifut
genitive		waifun	waifujen
partitive		waifua	waifuja
illative		waifuun	waifuihin
		singular	plural
nominative		waifu	waifut
accusative	nom.	waifu	waifut
	gen.	waifun
genitive		waifun	waifujen
partitive		waifua	waifuja
inessive		waifussa	waifuissa
elative		waifusta	waifuista
illative		waifuun	waifuihin
adessive		waifulla	waifuilla
ablative		waifulta	waifuilta
allative		waifulle	waifuille
essive		waifuna	waifuina
translative		waifuksi	waifuiksi
abessive		waifutta	waifuitta
instructive		—	waifuin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of waifu (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative waifuni waifuni accusative nom. waifuni waifuni gen. waifuni genitive waifuni waifujeni partitive waifuani waifujani inessive waifussani waifuissani elative waifustani waifuistani illative waifuuni waifuihini adessive waifullani waifuillani ablative waifultani waifuiltani allative waifulleni waifuilleni essive waifunani waifuinani translative waifukseni waifuikseni abessive waifuttani waifuittani instructive — — comitative — waifuineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative waifusi waifusi accusative nom. waifusi waifusi gen. waifusi genitive waifusi waifujesi partitive waifuasi waifujasi inessive waifussasi waifuissasi elative waifustasi waifuistasi illative waifuusi waifuihisi adessive waifullasi waifuillasi ablative waifultasi waifuiltasi allative waifullesi waifuillesi essive waifunasi waifuinasi translative waifuksesi waifuiksesi abessive waifuttasi waifuittasi instructive — — comitative — waifuinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative waifumme waifumme accusative nom. waifumme waifumme gen. waifumme genitive waifumme waifujemme partitive waifuamme waifujamme inessive waifussamme waifuissamme elative waifustamme waifuistamme illative waifuumme waifuihimme adessive waifullamme waifuillamme ablative waifultamme waifuiltamme allative waifullemme waifuillemme essive waifunamme waifuinamme translative waifuksemme waifuiksemme abessive waifuttamme waifuittamme instructive — — comitative — waifuinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative waifunne waifunne accusative nom. waifunne waifunne gen. waifunne genitive waifunne waifujenne partitive waifuanne waifujanne inessive waifussanne waifuissanne elative waifustanne waifuistanne illative waifuunne waifuihinne adessive waifullanne waifuillanne ablative waifultanne waifuiltanne allative waifullenne waifuillenne essive waifunanne waifuinanne translative waifuksenne waifuiksenne abessive waifuttanne waifuittanne instructive — — comitative — waifuinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative waifunsa waifunsa accusative nom. waifunsa waifunsa gen. waifunsa genitive waifunsa waifujensa partitive waifuaan waifuansa waifujaan waifujansa inessive waifussaan waifussansa waifuissaan waifuissansa elative waifustaan waifustansa waifuistaan waifuistansa illative waifuunsa waifuihinsa adessive waifullaan waifullansa waifuillaan waifuillansa ablative waifultaan waifultansa waifuiltaan waifuiltansa allative waifulleen waifullensa waifuilleen waifuillensa essive waifunaan waifunansa waifuinaan waifuinansa translative waifukseen waifuksensa waifuikseen waifuiksensa abessive waifuttaan waifuttansa waifuittaan waifuittansa instructive — — comitative — waifuineen waifuinensa

Japanese

Romanization

waifu

1. Rōmaji transcription of ワイフ

Portuguese

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Germanic *wībą

Proto-West Germanic *wīb

Old English wīf

Middle English wyf

English wifebor.

Japanese ワイフ (waifu)bor.

English waifuubor.

Portuguese waifu

Unadapted borrowing from English waifu, borrowed from Japanese ワイフ (waifu), borrowed from English wife.

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈwaj.fu/ [ˈwaɪ̯.fu]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈwaj.fu/

• Hyphenation: wai‧fu

Noun

waifu f (plural waifu or waifus)

1. (fandom slang, Internet slang) waifu

   Coordinate term: husbando m

Further reading

• “waifu”, in Dicionário inFormal (in Portuguese), 2006–2026
• “waifu” in Enciclopédia Significados (2011).

Spanish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Germanic *wībą

Proto-West Germanic *wīb

Old English wīf

Middle English wyf

English wifebor.

Japanese ワイフ (waifu)bor.

English waifuubor.

Spanish waifu

Unadapted borrowing from English waifu, borrowed from Japanese ワイフ (waifu), borrowed from English wife.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwaifu/ [ˈwai̯.fu]
• Rhymes: -aifu
• Syllabification: wai‧fu

Noun

waifu f (plural waifus)

1. (fandom slang, Internet slang) waifu

   Coordinate term: husbando m