Chinese Conversation · Level 22
90 words
Chinese word
婆婆
Pronunciation
Pinyinpó po
Meaning
- nounmother-in-law
Example
周末我要请婆婆吃饭。zhōu mò wǒ yào qǐng pó po chī fàn
I want to invite my mother-in-law to dinner this weekend.
More examples
我周末常和婆婆一起散步。wǒ zhōu mò cháng hé pó po yì qǐ sàn bù
I often take a walk with my mother-in-law on weekends.
Core concept
A familiar kinship label that places an older woman in the speaker's family circle, most often as the husband's mother.
Common phrases
请婆婆吃饭qǐng pó po chī fàn
invite one's mother-in-law to dinner
跟婆婆聊天gēn pó po liáo tiān
chat with one's mother-in-law
看望婆婆kàn wàng pó po
visit one's mother-in-law
Similar words
妈妈mā mā: The speaker's own mother in normal family talk.
公公gōng gōng: A familiar family term for a husband's father in everyday conversation.
岳母yuè mǔ: A respectful term for a wife's mother, especially in more formal settings.
岳父yuè fù: A respectful term for a wife's father, especially in more formal settings.
Definition in Chinese
口语中常用的称呼，主要指丈夫的母亲，也可泛指年长或熟识的妇女，语气偏亲切随意。kóu yǔ zhōng cháng yòng de chēng hū zhǔ yào zhǐ zhàng fū de mǔ qīn yě kě fàn zhǐ nián zhǎng huò shú shí de fù nǚ yǔ qì piān qīn qiè suí yì
Word origin
The reduplication in 婆婆 (pópo, "mother-in-law") turns 婆 (pó, "older woman") into a colloquial kinship title, whose main modern use is for a husband's mother.
Usage tips
- Chinese family terms often identify a relative through the marriage connection, so the speaker's viewpoint matters when an English speaker chooses an equivalent in an everyday conversation.
Opposites
- 媳妇xí fùdaughter-in-lawnoun