KaiwaGo母 kanji: meaning, readings and stroke order
母 means “mother”. It is written with 5 strokes and is a JLPT N5 kanji.
On’yomi: ボ (bo). Kun’yomi: はは (haha).
How to write 母 (stroke order)
Write 母 in 5 strokes, following the numbers. Each small box adds one stroke; the red line is the stroke to draw.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
General rules: top before bottom, left before right, horizontal before a vertical that crosses it, and a closing bottom stroke last. Writing in the right order makes handwriting readable and helps you count strokes when you look a kanji up.
Practice writing 母
Trace 母 over the faint model with your finger or mouse, following the stroke order above. Turn the model off to write it from memory.
Readings of 母
| On’yomi (Chinese reading) | ボ (bo) |
|---|---|
| Kun’yomi (Japanese reading) | はは (haha) |
The on’yomi is usually used in compound words, the kun’yomi when 母 stands alone or is followed by hiragana. A dot (.) marks where the hiragana ending starts.
Example words with 母
| Word | Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 母 | はは haha | (my) mother | |
| お母さん | おかあさん okaasan | mother |
母 (haha) means “(my) mother”.
お母さん (okaasan) means “mother”.
FAQ
What does 母 mean in Japanese?
母 means “mother”. Common words with it are 母 (haha, “(my) mother”) and お母さん (okaasan, “mother”).
How many strokes does 母 have?
母 has 5 strokes. Follow the stroke-order diagram on this page from stroke 1 to 5.
How do you read 母?
The on’yomi is ボ (bo) and the kun’yomi is はは (haha). Which one is used depends on the word.
Is 母 on the JLPT N5?
Yes. 母 is kanji number 75 of the 101 N5 kanji on this site.