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waifu
What does waifu mean?
Used more loosely for any fictional woman someone is obsessed with, even outside anime. The point is the parasocial devotion, not the medium.
"Lara Croft was the original waifu for a whole generation of gamers."
Origin
From Japanese 'waifu', a phonetic borrowing of the English word 'wife'. It blew up in Western anime fandom in the late 2000s after a scene in the anime Azumanga Daioh where a character refers to a photo as 'mai waifu'.
Frequently asked questions
What does waifu mean in slang?
It means a fictional female character, usually from anime, that a fan treats as their ideal partner or favorite. It's affectionate and usually playful.
What is the male version of waifu?
The male equivalent is 'husbando', used for a beloved fictional man instead of a woman.
Is waifu a real Japanese word?
It's Japanese slang borrowed straight from the English 'wife', so it's loanword slang rather than a native classical term.
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