waifu

A waifu is a fictional female character, usually from anime, manga or a video game, that a fan adores or feels a romantic attachment to. The word is a Japanese-English pronunciation of “wife.”

What waifu means

Calling a character your waifu means she’s your favourite, the one you’d defend in any argument and maybe buy a figure of. Dictionary.com defines it as a female character in an anime, manga or video game that a fan is particularly attracted to. Most people use it playfully; a few take it very seriously.

Fans debate “best girl” constantly, and phrases like “my waifu” or “waifu wars” come up whenever a new series gets popular.

Examples

• “Zero Two is my waifu, don’t argue.”
• “He has a shelf of figures of his waifu.”
• “Every new season, I find a new waifu.”
• “Waifu tier list, go.”

Waifu vs. husbando

Waifu is for female characters. The male version is husbando, which came along later.

Where waifu comes from

Dictionary.com traces English use to the 2002 anime Azumanga Daioh, in which a teacher refers to “mai waifu” (my wife). It found fan use of the anime sense by at least 2006, and Know Your Meme says the term was heavily used on 4chan’s anime board in the late 2000s.

Related terms

• Husbando: the male equivalent.
• Otaku: an intense fan.
• Parasocial relationship: a one-sided bond with a public figure.
• Simp: someone who tries too hard for someone they like.

Explore more in our anime slang dictionary.