"waifu": What does that actually mean?
If you're listening to young people, you've probably heard the word "waifu" come across. Especially when said young people are also anime and manga fans.
The term "waifu" is used primarily in the western gaming scene and of course among manga and anime fans for the ideal dream woman. Depending on the scene, this dream of a (married) woman is based on a fictional female game character of the genre.
Where does the word originally come from?
Wife is the (married) woman in English and "waifu" imitates the Japanese pronunciation of the word.
The equivalent "husband" is sometimes jokingly referred to as "husbando". In the gaming scene, however, "waifu" is common for both female and male characters. You can use it to honor your favorite character, but it's more of a romantic sentiment than pure admiration for a game character or person.
The term first appeared in otaku culture in Japan in the 1980s. At the time, manga and anime were even more limited to Asia.
In Japanese, wife is called "sai/tsuma". A typical Japanese ending is therefore often added to words borrowed from English. The word is thus adapted in sound to one's own feeling for the language.
Are you a big anime fan and would you like to create your own avatar? Do you want to …
How helpful do you find this article?
