母
[ha̠ha̠]
In Japanese, "my mother" is expressed as 母.
The term 母 is used to refer to one's own mother when speaking to others. It is a way to show humility by lowering the status of one's own family members when speaking to people outside the family.
Which one should you use?
Use 母 when referring to your own mother to others, but use お母さん when referring to someone else's mother or when addressing your own mother directly.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While 母 is the standard way to refer to your own mother in formal or humble contexts, お母さん is the standard way to address your mother or talk about another person's mother. お母さん is a common and respectful way to say "mother" in Japanese.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- 母は留守です。My mother isn't at home.This sentence is useful for stating that one's mother is not at home.Tatoeba #82839 by bunbuku, translation #593247 by CK
- 母は頭が古い。My mother has old-fashioned ideas.This sentence is useful for describing one's mother as having old-fashioned ideas.Tatoeba #82883 by tommy__san, translation #10550440 by CK
- 母は早起きです。My mother is an early riser.This sentence is useful for stating that one's mother is an early riser.Tatoeba #82899 by bunbuku, translation #320817 by CK
- 468 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are talking about their families at school.
- 美咲 Misaki健太さんのお母さんは先生ですか？Kenta-san no okāsan wa sensei desu ka?Is your mother a teacher, Kenta?
- 健太 Kentaいいえ、母は看護師です。Iie, haha wa kangoshi desu.No, my mother is a nurse.
- 美咲 Misakiそうなんですね。すごいですね。Sō nan desu ne. Sugoi desu ne.I see. That's amazing.
- 健太 Kentaありがとうございます。Arigatō gozaimasu.Thank you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 母, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 母, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
