What does it mean word for word?
The word お母さん consists of the honorific prefix お, the kanji for mother 母 (haha) and the polite suffix san.
Which one should you use?
While お母さん is used to address your mother or talk about another person's mother, the term 母 (haha) is a humble term used specifically when talking about your own mother to people outside your family. There are also other variations: かあちゃん is an endearing term used among family, かあさん is a casual term used by children or adults and ママ is a more childish or highly informal way for children to address their mothers.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
お母さん is a polite and formal term. For more casual or endearing contexts, you might use かあちゃん for family or かあさん for casual speech. For highly informal or childish address, use ママ.
How do you pronounce it?
okāsan
Did you know?
- The middle part of the word お母さん, the 'kā' sound, is actually a remnant of the ancient word 'kaka', an old way to say mother.
- In Japan, it is common for children to switch from using ママ ('mama') to お母さん as they grow older to signal a transition toward maturity.
- The term かあちゃん ('ka-chan') uses a suffix typically reserved for children, but some adults continue to use it to express a deep, childlike affection for their mother.
Examples in context
- お母さんはどこ？Where's mom?This sentence shows how to ask for the location of お母さん.Tatoeba #226610 by small_snow, translation #10780372 by CK
- ただいま、お母さん。I'm home, Mom!This sentence is an example of greeting お母さん upon returning home.Tatoeba #203661 by arnab, translation #40899 by CM
- お母さんに話したの？Have you told your mom?This sentence asks if someone has spoken to お母さん.Tatoeba #8602042 by small_snow, translation #3068233 by Hybrid
- 75 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and her brother are in the kitchen.
- 結衣 Yuiお母さん、お腹すいた！Okāsan, onaka suita!Mom, I'm hungry!
- 大翔 Hirotoもうすぐできると思うよ。Mōsugu dekiru to omou yo.I think it'll be ready soon.
- 結衣 Yuiお母さんは何を作ってるの？Okāsan wa nani o tsukutteru no?What is mom making?
- 大翔 Hirotoカレーだと思うよ。Karē da to omou yo.I think it's curry.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry お母さん, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries お母さん, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
