Meaning
The kanji 母 means mother. Few characters feel as immediate — this one represents the person who gives life, nurtures, and anchors a family. It belongs to JLPT N5, the beginner level, and is taught in Grade 2 of Japanese elementary school. At just 5 strokes, it's one of the simpler kanji to write.
母 is a pictograph. Ancient scripts depicted a woman with two dots marking the breasts — a nursing mother. The modern form has evolved, but that original image still shows through. Trace the strokes and you can still see a figure holding a child.
Beyond the literal meaning, 母 extends to anything foundational or originating: a mother tongue, a home country, the source of something larger. This is why it appears across compound words in language, biology, and geography. The radical is 母 itself, and it lives inside characters like 毎 (every) and 海 (sea) — both tracing back to the same ancient root.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The on'yomi is ボ (bo). You'll find it in formal compound words, especially those dealing with origin or foundation. In casual conversation, when talking about your own mother, this reading rarely comes up.
- 母国 (bokoku) — motherland, home country
- 母語 (bogo) — mother tongue, native language
- 母音 (boin) — vowel (literally "mother sound" — vowels anchor syllables)
- 祖母 (sobo) — grandmother
- 父母 (fubo) — parents
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
Two kun'yomi: はは (haha) and かあ (kaa). Use はは in neutral speech when referring to your mother in front of someone outside the family. Use かあ within the family, almost always as おかあさん (okaasan) — the everyday word for "Mom."
The register mirrors English: haha is "my mother," okaasan is "Mom."
- 母 (haha) — (my) mother
- お母さん (okaasan) — mother (polite/family form)
- 母親 (hahaoya) — mother (emphasizing the parental role)
Common Words & Compounds
母 appears across family relationships, language, and biology.
Family & Relationships:
- 母 (haha) — (my) mother
- お母さん (okaasan) — mother (polite)
- 母親 (hahaoya) — mother (parental role)
- 祖母 (sobo) — grandmother
- 父母 (fubo) — parents
- 継母 (mamahaha) — stepmother
Language & Identity:
- 母語 (bogo) — mother tongue, native language
- 母国 (bokoku) — motherland, home country
- 母国語 (bokokugo) — native language of one's country
Linguistics:
- 母音 (boin) — vowel
- 子音 (shiin) — consonant (literally "child sound," the counterpart to 母音)
Other:
- 母港 (bokou) — home port
- 母体 (botai) — mother's body; parent organization
Example Sentences
わたしの母は料理が上手です。
Watashi no haha wa ryōri ga jōzu desu.
My mother is a great cook.
母は毎朝早く起きます。
Haha wa maiasa hayaku okimasu.
My mother gets up early every morning.
お母さん、ただいま！
Okaasan, tadaima!
Mom, I'm home!
母から手紙が届きました。
Haha kara tegami ga todokimashita.
A letter arrived from my mother.
彼女の母語はフランス語です。
Kanojo no bogo wa Furansugo desu.
Her mother tongue is French.
祖母は京都に住んでいます。
Sobo wa Kyōto ni sunde imasu.
My grandmother lives in Kyoto.
母と一緒に買い物に行きました。
Haha to issho ni kaimono ni ikimashita.
I went shopping with my mother.
日本語の母音は５つです。
Nihongo no boin wa itsutsu desu.
Japanese has five vowels.
母は私が小さいとき、よく本を読んでくれました。
Haha wa watashi ga chiisai toki, yoku hon wo yonde kuremashita.
When I was little, my mother often read to me.
Related Kanji
- 父 — Father (Kanji N5)
- 今 — Now, Present (Kanji N5)
- 万 — Ten Thousand (Kanji N5)
- 男 — Man, Male (Kanji N5)
- 目 — Eye (Kanji N5)
- 中 — Middle, Inside (Kanji N5)
Memory Tip
Look at 母 carefully. Inside, you can spot 女 (woman) — but with two dots added. Those dots represent the breasts of a nursing mother. A woman, plus two nurturing dots, equals mother.
Next time you see those two dots inside that frame, the meaning will come right back. The shape holds the story.