Japanese symbol for “mum”
お母さん
おかあさん
Romaji: okaasan
mother; mom; mum; ma
In Japanese, mum is お母さん, read おかあさん (okaasan).
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; mom; mum; ma
- n wife
- pn you (of an elderly person older than the speaker); she; her
Written forms: お母さん、御母さん. Readings: おかあさん、おかーさん.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “mum”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ママ | ママ mama | mom; mommy; mum |
| 母ちゃん | かあちゃん kaachan | mum; mom; mummy |
| お母ちゃん | おかあちゃん okaachan | mum; mom |
| おっ母さん | おっかさん okkasan | mother; mom; mum |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 母親 | ははおや hahaoya | mother |
| 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 |
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.