mẹ chồng
[mɛ˧˨ʔ t͡ɕəwŋ͡m˨˩]word by word
The Vietnamese term for mother-in-law is mẹ chồng. Wiktionary also lists mẹ vợ.
Meaning: spouse's mother (noun)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| mẹ chồng | [mɛ˧˨ʔ t͡ɕəwŋ͡m˨˩] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) |
| mẹ vợ | [mɛ˧˨ʔ vəː˧˨ʔ] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) |
The term is used to identify the mother of one's spouse. Vietnamese distinguishes between the mother of a husband and the mother of a wife.
What does it mean word for word?
mẹ chồng is composed of mẹ (mother) and chồng (husband). mẹ vợ is composed of mẹ (mother) and vợ (wife).
Which one should you use?
Use mẹ chồng specifically when referring to the mother of a wife's husband.
Did you know?
- In Vietnamese culture, the relationship with a mẹ chồng is historically viewed as more complex and hierarchical than that with a mẹ vợ.
- The word chồng shares an ancient root with the Mlabri word for 'father' and the Khmu word for 'man'.
- In certain North Central dialects, you might hear the word cấy or gấy used for 'wife' instead of the common vợ.
Examples in context
- Mẹ chồng tôi rất hiền.My mother-in-law is very kind.
- Tôi đang đi mua quà cho mẹ chồng.I am going to buy a gift for my mother-in-law.
- Mẹ chồng cô ấy sống ở quê.Her mother-in-law lives in the countryside.
Example conversation
Minh and Chi are discussing family plans.
- MinhCuối tuần này em có gặp mẹ chồng không?Are you visiting your mother-in-law this weekend?
- ChiCó, em và mẹ chồng sẽ đi mua sắm.Yes, my mother-in-law and I are going shopping.
- MinhVậy thì tốt quá.That is great then.
- ChiVâng, bà ấy rất thích đi dạo.Yes, she loves walking around.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mother-in-law” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (mẹ, chồng, vợ) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chồng, mẹ, vợ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
