How to Say ‘Someone's mother’ in Japanese
お母さん
o kaa san
[oh kaa sahn]
💬 Usage Tip: Polite family words often follow one shape: お in front and さん at the end. Compare 母 → お母さん and 父 → お父さん.
Phrase Breakdown
お
o
[oh]
honorific prefix (polite)
Adds politeness. お客 is a casual-business way to say “customer/guest,” but お客様 is more formal.
お客に丁寧に対応します。
I respond politely to customers.
母
kaa
[kaa]
mother
Refers to one's mother, usually respectfully.
母が料理します。
My mother cooks.
さん
san
[sahn]
Mr.; Ms.; polite suffix
さん is a polite suffix attached to people's roles or names, adding respect.
おじいさんがきました。
Grandfather came.
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