Translation and Meaning of: 母 - haha

The Japanese word for "mother" is 「母」, read as "haha" in romaji. This word is composed of the kanji 「母」, which represents the concept of origin, care, and protection, characteristics traditionally associated with the maternal figure. The kanji 「母」 is often used when referring to one's own mother in a more intimate or casual manner, reflecting a direct emotional or familial association.

In the etymology of the kanji 「母」, we find two main elements: the strokes in the upper part that vaguely resemble two protrusions, representing maternal breasts, and below, a horizontal line symbolizing the base or support. This iconography suggests the function of nurturing and sustaining. Other ways to write mother in Japanese include 「お母さん」 (okaasan), a more formal and respectful term used when talking about someone else's mother or honorifically about one's own mother.

In addition to its basic use, the term 「母」 and its variations appear in various expressions and word compositions in the Japanese language. For example, 「母国」 (bokoku) means "country of origin" or "hometown," demonstrating how the maternal figure is symbolically associated with home and personal roots. The related words help to understand how the mother is seen as central in Japanese culture, both for its familial implications and for its symbolic role in individual and cultural identity.

Vocabulary

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Synonyms and similar words

• 母親 (haha) - Mother (formal term)
• お母さん (okaasan) - Mother (respectful and common term to refer to mother)
• お袋 (ofuku) - Mother (more colloquial and affectionate term)
• はは (haha) - Mother (informal term, used in personal contexts)
• かあさん (kaasan) - Mother (affectionate and colloquial term)

母

Romaji: haha
Kana: はは
Type: noun
L: -

Translation / Meaning: mother

Meaning in English: mother

Definition: The woman who gave birth to me.

Example Sentences - (母) haha

See below some example sentences:

私の祖母は入院しています。

Watashi no sobo wa nyuin shiteimasu

Minha avó está hospitalizada.

Minha avó está hospitalizada.

• 私 - personal pronoun that means "I"
• の - Particle indicating possession or relationship
• 祖母 - "Grandfather"
• は - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• 入院 - substantivo que significa "hospitalização"
• しています - verbo composto que significa "estar hospitalizado"

伯母さんはとても優しい人です。

Obasan wa totemo yasashii hito desu

My aunt is a very kind person.

Tia is a very kind person.

• 伯母さん - aunt (in Japanese)
• は - Topic particle
• とても - very
• 優しい - Kind, friendly
• 人 - person
• です - Verb ser/estar (polite form)

一敗は再起の母。

Ichihai wa saiki no haha

Defeat is the mother of reinvention.

A defeat is the mother of the resurrection.

• 一敗 - "a defeat"
• は - Topic particle
• 再起 - "recovery, resurgence"
• の - Possession particle
• 母 - "mãe"

お祖母さんはとても優しい人です。

Obaasan wa totemo yasashii hito desu

Minha avó é uma pessoa muito gentil.

• お祖母さん - avó
• は - Topic particle
• とても - very
• 優しい - gentil
• 人 - person
• です - Ser/estar (linking verb)

分母は分子よりも大きいです。

Bunbo wa bunshi yori mo ookii desu

The denominator is larger than the molecule.

• 分母 - means "denominator" in Japanese.
• は - It is a Japanese grammatical particle that indicates the topic of the sentence.
• 分子 - It means "numerador" in Japanese.
• よりも - It is a Japanese expression that means "more than".
• 大きい - significa "grande" em japonês.
• です - It is a polite way to say "is" in Japanese.

私の父母はとても優しいです。

Watashi no chichibo wa totemo yasashii desu

My parents are very kind.

• 私 (watashi) - The personal pronoun that means "I" in Japanese.
• の (no) - possession particle indicating that "father and mother" belong to "me"
• 父母 (fubo) - a word that means "father and mother" in Japanese
• は (wa) - topic particle indicating that "father and mother" are the subject of the sentence
• とても (totemo) - adverb meaning "very" in Japanese
• 優しい (yasashii) - adjective meaning "gentle" or "kind" in Japanese
• です (desu) - being verb that indicates that "father and mother" are "very kind"

私の伯母はとても優しい人です。

Watashi no oba wa totemo yasashii hito desu

My aunt is a very kind person.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• の (no) - particle that indicates possession or relationship between two things
• 伯母 (obasan) - noun that means "aunt" (sister of the father or mother)
• は (wa) - particle that marks the topic of the sentence
• とても (totemo) - adverb meaning "very"
• 優しい (yasashii) - adjective meaning "gentle" or "kind"
• 人 (hito) - noun that means "person"
• です (desu) - auxiliary verb that indicates the polite or formal form of discourse

私の母親はとても優しいです。

Watashi no hahaoya wa totemo yasashii desu

My mother is very kind.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• の (no) - particle that indicates possession, equivalent to "of"
• 母親 (hahaoya) - noun meaning "mother"
• は (wa) - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• とても (totemo) - adverb meaning "very"
• 優しい (yasashii) - adjetivo que significa "gentil"
• です (desu) - auxiliary verb that indicates the present tense and formality of the sentence

私の祖母は健在です。

Watashi no sobo wa kenzen desu

Minha avó está bem de saúde.

Minha avó está viva.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• の (no) - partícula que indica posse, neste caso, "minha"
• 祖母 (sobo) - "Grandfather"
• は (wa) - partícula que indica o tópico da frase, neste caso, "minha avó"
• 健在 (kenzai) - adjetivo que significa "estar em boa saúde"
• です (desu) - verb to be in the polite form

私は母から縫い方を教わった。

Watashi wa haha kara nuikata o osowatta

I learned to sew with my mother.

I learned to sew from my mother.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - particle that marks the topic of the sentence, indicating that the subject of the conversation is "I"
• 母 (haha) - noun meaning "mother"
• から (kara) - particle that indicates the origin or starting point of an action, in this case, "from my mother"
• 縫い方 (nuikata) - noun that means "way of sewing"
• を (wo) - particle that marks the direct object of the sentence, in this case, "the way of sewing"
• 教わった (osowatta) - verb that means "to learn," in the past, indicating that "I learned how to sew."