Meaning of 太太
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- married woman
- Mrs.
- Madam
- wife
Measure word: 個|个,位
How to use 太太
太太 is used after a surname as a title, like "Mrs.," and also to mean "wife" when talking about someone's spouse. It sounds a bit polite or formal, and is common in Taiwan, Hong Kong and among older speakers. Example: 王太太是我的邻居。(Wáng tàitai shì wǒ de línjū.) Mrs. Wang is my neighbor.
太 (tài) means "too" or "very," so picture 太太 as a person so important you say her title twice. Doubling the character gives the respectful word for a married woman or wife.
Common mistake: Learners often say both syllables with a falling tone, but the second 太 is neutral: tàitai, not tài tài. Also, the surname comes first, so say 李太太 (Lǐ tàitai), not 太太李.
太太 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
太 tài · highest · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
太 tài · highest · 4 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
Related words
Words that share a character with 太太.
| 太阳 | tàiyáng | sun; sunlight; sunshine |
| 不太 | bù tài | |
| 老太太 | lǎotàitai | elderly lady (respectful); esteemed mother |
| 太空 | tàikōng | outer space |
| 太阳能 | tàiyángnéng | solar energy |
| 太平 | tàipíng | peace and security |
| 晒太阳 | shài tàiyáng | to be in the sun (getting warm or sunbathing etc); to put sth in the sun (e.g. to dry it) |
| 太极 | tàijí | the Absolute or Supreme Ultimate, the source of all things according to some interpretatio |
| 太极拳 | tàijíquán | shadowboxing or Taiji, T'aichi or T'aichichuan; traditional form of physical exercise or r |
| 太好了 | tàihǎole | very good |
| 不太好 | bùtàihǎo | not so good; not too well |
| 太过 | tàiguò | excessively; too |
Questions about 太太
What does 太太 mean?
太太 (tàitai) means "married woman; Mrs." and is used as a noun.
How do you write 太太?
太太 is made of 2 characters: 太 (4 strokes), 太 (4 strokes). That is 8 strokes in total.
Is 太太 an HSK word?
Yes. 太太 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 太太 and 妻子?
妻子 (qīzi) is a neutral, slightly formal word for wife, often used in writing. 太太 is more conversational and polite, and it can also be used as a title with a surname. In mainland China many people also say 老婆 (lǎopo) casually or 爱人 (àiren).
Can I call a woman 太太 if I don't know if she is married?
It is safer not to, because 太太 assumes she is married. For an unknown woman, 女士 (nǚshì) is a polite neutral choice. For an elderly woman, 老太太 (lǎotàitai) is respectful.