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A2 noun #700 most common 2 min read

お母さん

okaasan
Notes & Tips

§ Basic use of お母さん

The word お母さん (okaasan) directly translates to "mother." It's a respectful way to refer to someone else's mother or your own mother when speaking to others. When you're talking directly to your own mother, you'll often use お母さん as a form of address, like calling her "Mom."

Definition
mother

あなたのお母さんは元気ですか？

Translation hint: Is your mother well?

お母さん、ご飯だよ。

Translation hint: Mom, dinner is ready.

§ Using お母さん with particles

Japanese uses particles to show the function of words in a sentence. Here are some common particles you'll use with お母さん:

  • 〜が (ga): This particle marks the subject of a sentence.

お母さんが料理を作っています。

Translation hint: Mother is cooking.

  • 〜を (o): This particle marks the direct object of a verb.

私はお母さんを尊敬しています。

Translation hint: I respect my mother.

  • 〜に (ni): This particle can indicate a destination, a recipient, or a time.

お母さんにプレゼントをあげました。

Translation hint: I gave a present to my mother.

  • 〜と (to): This particle means "with" or "and."

お母さんと買い物に行きました。

Translation hint: I went shopping with my mother.

  • 〜の (no): This particle shows possession or describes a noun.

お母さんの料理は美味しいです。

Translation hint: Mother's cooking is delicious.

§ Important nuances and tips

The honorific prefix お (o) and the suffix さん (san) make お母さん a polite and respectful term. Dropping these makes the word less formal, but for learners, it's safer to stick with お母さん for general use.

Understanding when to use お母さん versus other terms for mother (like 母 haha or 母親 hahaoya) comes with practice and exposure. For now, focus on using お母さん for referring to someone else's mother or respectfully addressing your own.

Frequently Asked Questions

10 questions

The most common way to say 'mother' in Japanese is お母さん (okaasan).

お母さん (okaasan) is generally used when talking to your mother or about someone else's mother, showing respect. 母 (haha) is typically used when talking about your own mother to others, and is more humble. It's similar to how you might say 'Mom' versus 'my mother'.

Yes, you can absolutely use お母さん (okaasan) when speaking directly to your own mother. It's a common and polite way to address her.

Yes, but they are less common or have specific nuances. You might hear ママ (mama) for a more childish or affectionate term, and historically, おふくろ (ofukuro) was sometimes used by men, but it's quite informal and less common now.

In hiragana, it's おかあさん. In kanji, it's お母さん. The kanji for 'mother' is 母.

お母さん (okaasan) already includes the honorific prefix 'お' (o), making it a polite term. There isn't a 'more' polite common form that's used frequently.

The 'さん' (san) in お母さん (okaasan) is a common honorific suffix in Japanese, used to show respect. It's similar to 'Mr.', 'Ms.', or 'Mrs.' in English, but used much more broadly.

Here are a couple of examples:
お母さん、ご飯だよ。 (Okaasan, gohan da yo.) - Mom, dinner's ready.
彼のお母さんはとても親切です。 (Kare no okaasan wa totemo shinsetsu desu.) - His mother is very kind.

Generally, yes. お母さん (okaasan) is used for human mothers. For animal mothers, you'd typically use お母さん動物 (okaasan dōbutsu) or just the animal's name with 'mother'.

お母さん (okaasan) is considered an A2 level word according to the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).

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