Chinese Conversation · Level 30
90 words
Chinese word
母亲
Pronunciation
Pinyinmǔ qīn
Meaning
- nounmother
Example
今天是我母亲的生日。jīn tiān shì wǒ mǔ qīn de shēng rì
Today is my mother's birthday.
More examples
周四我给母亲打电话，问她最近怎么样。zhōu sì wǒ gěi mǔ qīn dǎ diàn huà wèn tā zuì jìn zěn me yàng
On Thursday, I called my mother and asked how she had been lately.
Core concept
The adult woman who gives birth to a child or raises and cares for one as a parent.
Common phrases
给母亲打电话gěi mǔ qīn dǎ diàn huà
call one's mother
照顾母亲zhào gù mǔ qīn
take care of one's mother
陪母亲吃饭péi mǔ qīn chī fàn
eat with one's mother
Similar words
妈妈mā mā: A friendly, familiar term for one's mother in everyday speech.
妈mā: A brief, very casual form of address for one's mother.
家长jiā zhǎng: A child's parent or guardian responsible for school contact and required procedures.
父母fù mǔ: The mother and father of a child viewed as a pair.
Definition in Chinese
指在家庭中与子女有血缘或抚养关系、承担抚养和照顾职责的成年女性。zhǐ zài jiā tíng zhōng yǔ zí nǚ yǒu xuè yuán huò fú yǎng guān xì chéng dān fú yǎng hé zhào gù zhí zé de chéng nián nǚ xìng
Word origin
母 (mǔ, "mother") + 亲 (qīn, "kin") combines the maternal role with the idea of a family relationship.
Usage tips
- In everyday conversation, this term sounds formal, so it is more common when describing a parent to others or in writing than when calling someone at home.
Opposites
- 父亲fù qīnfathernoun
Related words
- 母亲节mǔ qīn jiéMother's Daynoun
- 母爱mǔ àimotherly lovenoun