L42. Daily Japanese Kanji — [Day 42] 母
Days 41-50
R-report
[Day 42] 母 - mother
The character 母 means "mother" and originally comes from a pictograph representing a woman and features that suggest nurturing or a parent; it appears in everyday family words and formal compounds (honorifics like お母さん, legal or descriptive terms like 母親) and special-day expressions like 母の日. Readings: On'yomi and Kun'yomi are both used — On'yomi commonly appears in Sino-Japanese compounds, while Kun'yomi is used for native family words. Mnemonic tip: imagine the top strokes as arms reaching out in a protective embrace to remember "mother."
Readings
On'yomi: **ボ** (bo) Kun'yomi: **はは**, **おかあさん** (haha, okaasan)
Related words
- お母さん（おかあさん / okaasan） — mother (polite). - 週末に**お母さん**と一緒に料理を作ります。(Shuumatsu ni **okaasan** to issho ni ryouri o tsukurimasu. — On weekends I cook together with my mother.)
- 母（はは / haha） — mother (one's own). - **母**は毎朝早く起きます。(Haha wa maiasa hayaku okimasu. — My mother wakes up early every morning.)
- 母親（ははおや / hahaoya） — mother / parent. - 彼女は**母親**としてとても優しいです。(Kanojo wa **hahaoya** to shite totemo yasashii desu. — She is very kind as a mother.)
- 母の日（ははのひ / haha no hi） — Mother's Day. - 毎年**母の日**に花を贈ります。(Maitoshi **haha no hi** ni hana o okurimasu. — Every year I give flowers on Mother's Day.)
- 母校（ぼこう / bokou） — alma mater. - 卒業式で**母校**に戻りました。(Sotsugyoushiki de **bokou** ni modorimashita. — I returned to my alma mater for the graduation ceremony.)