1.
mother (honorific)
The ordinary respectful word for mother: used to address one's own mother, to talk about someone else's mother, and within the family or among friends to talk about one's own. In formal speech to outsiders, one's own mother is 母.
お母さん、おはよう。
Good morning, Mom.
お母さん is the standard polite term for "mother," used both as a form of address and as a reference term.
Usage
- Addressing one's own mother directly: お母さん、晩ご飯は？
- Referring to someone else's mother: お母さんはお元気ですか。
- Children and adults alike use this form in everyday conversation.
In formal speech and writing, use 母 for one's own mother and お母さん or, more respectfully, お母さま for someone else's mother. This inside/outside (内/外) distinction is important in Japanese.
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Related Words
Related:
お父さん (father)
Related:
おふくろ (mother (informal))
Compare:
お母ちゃん (mom)
Related:
置屋 (geisha house)
Compare:
母親 (mother)