こちらは私の母です
kochira wa watashi no haha desu
The English phrase "this is my mom" can be translated into Japanese. The default form is こちらは私の母です (kochira wa watashi no haha desu).
These phrases are used to introduce your mother to another person. When using the standard or polite forms, you use the word 母 (haha) to refer to her. The term 私の (watashi no) denotes "my".
What does it mean word for word?
In the phrase こちらは私の母です, こちら (kochira) literally means "this direction" but is used as a polite way to say "this person" during introductions.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word for "mother" changes based on the situation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phrase こちらは私の母です is a polite, standard way to introduce your mother to others. For a more formal tone, you can use こちらは私のお母さんです or これは私の母です.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the informal phrase こいつがうちのお袋だ, the word だ (da) is a casual copula used at the end of the sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
kochira wa watashi no haha desu
What mistakes should you avoid?
In Japanese, you should use the humble 母 (haha) to show respect to the listener by lowering your own family's status.
Did you know?
- In the very informal version お袋 (ofukuro), the word literally relates to a 'sack' or 'bag', a slangy way of referring to a mother that was once common among rougher male speakers or laborers.
- The term 母 ('haha') is part of a 'relative honorific' system. This means you are actually performing a linguistic trick where you 'lower' your own mother's social status to elevate the status of the person you are talking to.
- While you use 母 ('haha') to introduce your mother to others, you would never use it to call out to her in the house. In that case, you would use お母さん ('okaasan'), as calling your own mother by the humble term would be considered cold or rude.
Examples in context
- こちらは私の母です。Kochira wa watashi no haha desu.This is my mother.
- あ、こちらは私の母です。A, kochira wa watashi no haha desu.Oh, this is my mother.
Example conversation
Ren introduces his mother to his friend Himari.
- 蓮 Ren陽葵さん、こちらは私の母です。Himari-san, kochira wa watashi no haha desu.Himari, this is my mother.
- 陽葵 Himariはじめまして。よろしくお願いします。Hajimemashite. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.Nice to meet you. I am pleased to meet you.
- 蓮 Ren母、こちらは友達の陽葵さんです。Haha, kochira wa tomodachi no Himari-san desu.Mom, this is my friend Himari.
- 陽葵 Himariとても優しい方ですね。Totemo yasashii kata desu ne.She seems like a very kind person.
