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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "stepmother" in Japanese?
継母
mamahaha
In Japanese, "stepmother" is 継母 (mamahaha).
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Pronunciation
Mah-mah-hah-hah, four syllables, the same mama prefix now attached to haha, mother.
Writing and usage
継母 is written using kanji. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.
Example sentence
継母は美味しい料理を作っている。
mamahaha ha oishii ryouri wo tsukutsu teiru.
Her stepmother cooks delicious meals.
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How to remember 継母
Mamahaha pairs with mamachichi the way stepmother pairs with stepfather, both built from the same step- prefix.
Related words
- grandfather 祖父 sofu
- grandmother 祖母 sobo
- uncle おじさん ojisan
- aunt おばさん obasan
- nephew 甥 oi
- niece 姪 mei
- cousin いとこ itoko
- stepfather 継父 mamachichi
- godfather 名付け親 nazuke oya
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about 継母
How do you pronounce 継母?
Mah-mah-hah-hah, four syllables, the same mama prefix now attached to haha, mother.
Is 継母 formal or casual?
継母 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.
How is 継母 written in Japanese?
継母 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as mamahaha.
Where can I practice Japanese words for free?
You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Stepmother" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
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