母 – Kanji Meaning, Reading, and Common Words

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What does 母 mean in Japanese?

母 means mother. It is a core JLPT N5 kanji and the partner of 父 (father) in the most basic family pair.

Like 父, 母 has a humble word and a polite word. 母 (haha) is how you refer to your own mother modestly when speaking to others; お母さん (okaasan) is how you address her at home and how you politely refer to someone else’s mother. The on’yomi ボ appears in compounds such as 母国 (bokoku, homeland) and 祖母 (sobo, grandmother).

Reading

On’yomi: ボ (bo)

Kun’yomi: はは (haha), かあ (kaa)

Basic Information

Kanji 母
Meaning mother
Stroke Count 5
JLPT Level N5

How to Understand This Kanji

The humble-polite split mirrors 父 exactly. 母 (haha) is the plain, humble word for your own mother, used to outsiders: 母は料理が上手です (my mother is a good cook). お母さん (okaasan) is the warm word to address your own mother and to speak politely of someone else’s: お母さんによろしく (say hello to your mother). 母親 (hahaoya) is the neutral, objective ‘mother’. The on’yomi ボ builds 祖母 (sobo, grandmother), 父母 (fubo, parents), and 母国 (bokoku, one’s mother country), which extends 母 to the idea of a nurturing origin.

Common Words

  • 母（はは / haha） — (my) mother
  • お母さん（おかあさん / okaasan） — mother, mom (polite / address form)
  • 母親（ははおや / hahaoya） — mother (objective)
  • 祖母（そぼ / sobo） — grandmother
  • 父母（ふぼ / fubo） — father and mother, parents
  • 母国（ぼこく / bokoku） — homeland, mother country

Example Sentences

  • 母は料理がとても上手です。

    ははりょうりがとてもじょうずです。 / Haha wa ryouri ga totemo jouzu desu.

    My mother is very good at cooking.

  • お母さんはうちにいますか。

    おかあさんはうちにいますか。 / Okaasan wa uchi ni imasu ka.

    Is your mother at home?

  • 祖母は今年八十歳になります。

    そぼはことしはちじゅっさいになります。 / Sobo wa kotoshi hachijussai ni narimasu.

    My grandmother turns eighty this year.

Related Kanji

  • 父

    — Father — 母 and 父 are the basic parent pair; 父母 (parents) joins them and they are always learned together

  • 親

    — Parent — 母親 (mother) = 母 + 親; 親 turns the specific mother into the general parent word

  • 子

    — Child — a 母 is defined in relation to a 子 (child); the two frame the parent-child bond

When Learners Usually See This Kanji

Apply the same rule as 父: your own mother is 母 (haha) to outsiders, but お母さん at home, and always お母さん for someone else’s mother. Getting this register right is a mark of natural Japanese.

Mind the writing: 母 has five strokes and two distinctive dots inside. It is easy to confuse with 毋 or 母’s look-alikes, so practice the stroke order and the two inner points.

母 also means a nurturing source in words like 母国 (homeland) and 母語 (bogo, native language). This extension, mother as origin, appears in many languages and makes these compounds easy to remember.

Summary

母 means mother: use 母 (haha) humbly for your own mother when speaking to others, and お母さん (okaasan) to address her or refer politely to someone else’s. The on’yomi ボ gives 祖母 (grandmother) and 母国 (homeland).