教母
jiàomǔ
The English phrase godmother can be translated into Chinese as 教母 (jiàomǔ) or 乾娘 / 干娘.
Meaning: woman present at the christening of a baby who promises to help raise the child in a Christian manner (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 教母 | jiàomǔ |
| 乾娘 / 干娘 | gānniáng |
The term for godmother depends on whether the relationship is religious or social.
What does it mean word for word?
教母 is composed of 教 (to teach/instruct) and 母 (mother). 乾娘 / 干娘 uses the character 乾 (dry), which functions here as a prefix meaning 'fictive' or 'non-biological'.
Which one should you use?
教母 is used specifically in a Christian or religious context. In contrast, 乾娘 / 干娘 is used in a social or non-religious context to refer to a woman who acts as a surrogate mother or a close female mentor.
How do you pronounce it?
jiàomǔ
When do people say it?
In Chinese culture, calling a woman 乾娘 implies a close, familial-like bond that is not based on blood relation.
Did you know?
- The term 乾娘 is part of a larger tradition of 'dry' kinship, where 乾 (dry) is used to create familial bonds through social contracts rather than blood.
- While 教母 is the direct translation for a Christian godmother, it is also used in popular culture to describe a 'Godmother' figure who wields immense power, similar to the English 'Godfather'.
- In traditional Chinese society, becoming a 乾娘 was often a formal arrangement intended to provide a child with a powerful social protector or political ally.
Examples in context
- 我的教母很疼我，总是给我很多爱。My godmother loves me a lot and always showers me with affection.
- 她是我干妈，她对我像亲妈一样。She is my godmother, and she treats me like her own child.
- 她是我的教母。Tā shì wǒ de jiàomǔ.She is my godmother.
- 那位女士是孩子的教母。Nà wèi nǚshì shì háizi de jiàomǔ.That lady is the child's godmother.
Example conversation
梓涵 and 俊杰 are discussing a family friend's visit.
- 梓涵 Zihan你是说那位女士是你的教母吗？Nǐ shì shuō nà wèi nǚshì shì nǐ de jiàomǔ ma?Are you saying that lady is your godmother?
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，她是我的教母。Shì de, tā shì wǒ de jiàomǔ.Yes, she is my godmother.
- 梓涵 Zihan她人看起来很友善。Tā rén kàn qǐlái hěn yǒushàn.She seems like a very kind person.
- 俊杰 Junjie她确实非常照顾我。Tā quèshí fēicháng zhàogù wǒ.She really takes good care of me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “godmother” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
