Meaning: mother
Recognized Reading: ボ、モ、はは、おも
母子(ボシ): mother and child(ren)
母語(ボゴ): one’s mother tongue
母国(ボコク): one’s native country
父母(フボ/ちちはは): parents, father and mother
祖母(ソボ): one’s grandmother
保母(ホボ): a nursery school teacher
雲母(ウンモ): mica
母(はは): one’s mother
母屋(おもや): the main house (building)
Not in the dictionary but commonly used:
お母さん(おかあさん): one’s mother
伯母/叔母(おば): an aunt
お祖母さん(おばあさん): a grandmother
My dictionary lists 2 different theories about how #母 is formed. One is that it’s a logograph that depicts a woman holding a child. The other is that it’s a pictograph with 2 short strokes representing a mother’s nipples.
母 is listed under the radical of #なかれ(毋), which looks almost the same with 母 but while 母 has 2 short strokes (nipples) inside, 毋 has only one line inside.
If you liked this article, please share it with your friends using the social media buttons below.