母 — Kanji Reference

母 (mother): 5 strokes, JLPT N5. On: ボ. Kun: はは.

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母

Property Value
Meaning mother
Strokes 5
JLPT Level N5
On-reading (音読み) ボ
Kun-reading (訓読み) はは
Radical 母 (なかれ/はは) [U+6BCD]

Stroke Order

The stroke order for 母 follows standard rules: top-to-bottom and left-to-right. Note that the two dots are written last.

  1. Stroke 1: A vertical stroke with a slight hook at the bottom (left side).
  2. Stroke 2: A horizontal stroke that turns into a vertical stroke (the "corner").
  3. Stroke 3: A horizontal stroke connecting the right side to the middle.
  4. Stroke 4: A dot placed on the left side.
  5. Stroke 5: A dot placed on the right side.

Radical Analysis

The kanji 母 is a pictograph. Originally, it depicted a woman with emphasized breasts, symbolizing a nursing mother. The radical is 母 itself. It is often confused with the kanji 毎 (every), which evolved from the same character but added a line across the top to distinguish it.

Mnemonic

Imagine a mother standing with her arms crossed, watching over her two children (represented by the two dots). The two dots are the "eyes" of the mother, always looking out for her little ones.

On-readings (音読み) with Examples

ボ (bo)

Word Reading Romaji English
母親 ははおや hahaoya mother
祖母 そぼ sobo grandmother
母国 ぼこく bokoku motherland
母校 ぼこう bokou alma mater

Kun-readings (訓読み) with Examples

はは (haha)

Word Reading Romaji English
母 はは haha (my) mother
母さん かあさん kaasan mom (polite)

JLPT N5 Words Using 母

Word Reading Romaji English JLPT
母 はは haha mother N5
お母さん おかあさん okaasan mother (polite) N5
祖母 そぼ sobo grandmother N5
母親 ははおや hahaoya mother N4
母国 ぼこく bokoku motherland N3
母校 ぼこう bokou alma mater N3
義母 ぎぼ gibo mother-in-law N2
実母 じつぼ jitsubo biological mother N2

Example Sentences

Japanese Reading Romaji English
母は料理が上手です。 ははは りょうりが じょうずです。 Haha wa ryouri ga jouzu desu. My mother is good at cooking.
お母さんは元気ですか。 おかあさんは げんきですか。 Okaasan wa genki desu ka? Is your mother well?
祖母は毎日散歩します。 そぼは まいにち さんぽします。 Sobo wa mainichi sanpo shimasu. My grandmother takes a walk every day.
私は母国が大好きです。 わたしは ぼこくが だいすきです。 Watashi wa bokoku ga daisuki desu. I love my motherland.
母校を訪問しました。 ぼこうを ほうもんしました。 Bokou o houmon shimashita. I visited my alma mater.
彼女は優しい母親です。 かのじょは やさしい ははおやです。 Kanojo wa yasashii hahaoya desu. She is a kind mother.

Common Confusion Pairs

Kanji Reading Meaning How to distinguish
母 はは mother Has two dots inside; represents a person.
毎 まい every Has a horizontal line on top; represents "every" (as in every day).
毒 どく poison The top part is different; looks like a "生" inside.

Usage Frequency Note

母 is one of the most fundamental kanji in the Japanese language. It is used daily in both speech and writing. When referring to one's own mother, 母 (haha) is used in humble contexts, while お母さん (okaasan) is used when speaking to others or referring to someone else's mother. It appears frequently in literature, news, and casual conversation.