おふくろ

An affectionate, informal word for one's own mother. Carries a warm, nostalgic nuance.

Gender and register

Primarily used by men. Women more commonly say お母(かあ)さん or ママ. Sounds masculine and casual — not used in formal contexts.

Common expressions

• おふくろの味(あじ): mother's home cooking (nostalgic nuance)
• おふくろに似(に)る: to take after one's mother

Related words

• 母(はは): neutral/humble term for one's own mother
• お母(かあ)さん: polite, general term for mother
• ママ: casual, used by children and women
• 母親(ははおや): formal, objective term (as in documents)

Writing

Can be written as お袋(ふくろ), but hiragana is more common.