ji6 mou5義母义母
Jyutpingji6 mou5
Yaleyih móuh
Definition
Adoptive, foster, or godmother; a mother recognized through formal social ceremony rather than blood relations.
neutralfamilypeople
How it's used
Refers specifically to a mother figure established through social or formal recognition rather than biological ties. While it can overlap with 養母, 義母 often carries a slightly more formal or respectful tone, sometimes implying a bond formed through a specific ceremony or long-term commitment. It is rarely used in casual daily conversation to describe one's own mother, as people usually just use 阿媽.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
She was raised by her adoptive mother when she was little.
Related words
Common phrases
to acknowledge as an adoptive mother
Common mistake
Avoid using this to describe a stepmother, which is 繼母, as the two terms imply different legal and social relationships.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
