夫人 (fū rén) is a respectful, formal term meaning 'wife'—used especially when referring to someone else’s wife in polite conversation or writing. Literally, 夫 means 'husband' and 人 means 'person', so the compound suggests 'the husband’s person'—a traditional, deferential way of identifying a married woman by her marital relationship. It carries connotations of dignity and social status, often used in official contexts, introductions, or formal correspondence.

The term is rarely used by a husband speaking directly to his own wife; instead, it’s common when addressing or referring to another man’s wife (e.g., 'Zhang’s wife'), or as an honorific title for high-status women (e.g., 'Madam Ambassador'). In modern spoken Chinese, it’s less frequent in casual settings—where 媳妇 (xífu) or 老婆 (lǎopo) are more common—but remains standard in formal speech, news reports, and diplomatic language.