Meaning
母亲
mǔ qīn
Mother
- 母
- mother
- 亲
- parent, dear one
The respectful word for mother; suits a tribute piece.
Mother in Chinese
The Chinese word for mother is 母亲 (mǔ qīn). The respectful word for mother; suits a tribute piece. In traditional characters it is written 母親.
母亲
mǔ qīn
Mother
What 母亲 means.
母亲 is the respectful word for mother, used in writing and formal speech, while children say 妈妈. The single character 母 is the classical form.
- 母
- mother
- 亲
- parent, dear one
Simplified and traditional
母亲
母親
Both are correct and mean the same. Traditional 母親 keeps the older, fuller shape that calligraphy grew up with; simplified 母亲 is what most Chinese readers use today. Our seal and clerical styles write it in the traditional form.
Pick the shade of meaning.
Chinese often has more than one word where English has one. Here is how they differ.
Meaning
母
mǔ
Mother
- 母
- mother
A single character for a small, simple tribute.
About mother in Chinese
How do you write mother in Chinese?
Mother is 母亲 in Chinese, pronounced mǔ qīn. Mother 母 means “mother”, 亲 means “parent, dear one”.
How do you pronounce 母亲?
Say mǔ (third tone, dipping), qīn (first tone, high and level). Mandarin tones change meaning, so it is worth listening to a native speaker once.
Is 母亲 different in traditional Chinese?
Yes. The traditional form is 母親, used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and classical calligraphy; 母亲 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore. Both are correct.
What other Chinese words mean mother?
母 (mǔ): Mother A single character for a small, simple tribute.
Is 母亲 a good Chinese tattoo?
Yes, it is a real, everyday Chinese word rather than a machine translation, so Chinese readers will understand it. Keep the characters in their order, top to bottom or left to right, and never mirrored. Choose a readable style such as Kaishu, bring a clean reference to your artist, and show it to a fluent reader before your appointment.