Japanese symbol for “maternal”
母方
ははかた
Romaji: hahakata
mother's side of family
In Japanese, maternal is 母方, read ははかた (hahakata).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n mother's side of family
- adj-no maternal (grandfather, uncle, etc.)
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “maternal”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 種違い | たねちがい tanechigai | half- (sibling by a different father); uterine; maternal |
| 種変わり | たねがわり tanegawari | half- (sibling by a different father); uterine; maternal |
| 母親らしい | ははおやらしい hahaoyarashii | motherly; maternal |
| 母性的 | ぼせいてき boseiteki | motherly; mother-like; maternal |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 母親 | ははおや hahaoya | mother |
| お母さん | おかあさん okaasan | mother; mom; mum |
| 祖母 | そぼ sobo | grandmother |
| 叔母 | おば oba | aunt |
| 父母 | ふぼ fubo | father and mother; parents |
| 母さん | かあさん kaasan | mother |
| 方法 | ほうほう houhou | method; way; manner |
| 一方 | いっぽう ippou | one (esp. of two); the other; one way |
See also: Chinese symbol for “maternal”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.