おかあさん is the polite and standard way to say 'mother' in Japanese, suitable for most situations.
おかあさん in 30 Seconds
- Polite term for 'mother'.
- Used for your own or someone else's mother.
- Commonly used in daily conversation.
Test Yourself 6 questions
This sentence means 'My mother cooks delicious food every day.' The typical Japanese sentence structure is Subject-Object-Verb. 'おかあさん' (mother) is the subject, '毎日' (every day) is a time adverb, '美味しい料理' (delicious food) is the object, and '作ります' (cooks) is the verb. The particle 'は' marks the subject.
This sentence translates to 'My mother is kind and interesting.' '私のおかあさん' (my mother) is the subject. '優しくて' (kind, connecting form) and '面白い' (interesting) are adjectives describing her, followed by the polite 'です'.
This sentence means 'I am always grateful to my mother.' '私' (I) is the subject, 'いつも' (always) is an adverb, 'おかあさん' (mother) is the indirect object marked by 'に', and '感謝しています' (am grateful) is the verb phrase.
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Summary
おかあさん is the polite and standard way to say 'mother' in Japanese, suitable for most situations.
- Polite term for 'mother'.
- Used for your own or someone else's mother.
- Commonly used in daily conversation.
Example
私のおかあさんは料理が上手です。
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還暦
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〜くらい
B1About; approximately; to the extent that.
認め合う
B1To recognize each other's worth; to acknowledge.
知人
B1Acquaintance.
顔見知り
A2Acquaintance; someone you know by sight.
甘える
B1To be spoiled, to fawn; to behave like a pampered child.
活発な
B1Active; lively; vigorous.
思春期
B1Adolescence; the period of transition from childhood to adulthood.
養子
B1Adopted child; a child taken into one's family by legal means.
養親
B2Adoptive parent.
