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Expressing 'mother' with 母亲 (mǔqīn)
Existence & Possession
Explanation
母亲 (mǔqīn) means "mother" and is the formal or literary way to refer to one's mother in Chinese. While 妈妈 is used in everyday conversation, 母亲 appears in formal writing, news reports, and respectful or solemn contexts. It can also be used figuratively, as in 祖国母亲 (motherland).
Examples
母亲节那天，他给母亲买了一束花。
Mǔqīnjié nà tiān, tā gěi mǔqīn mǎile yī shù huā.
On Mother's Day, he bought his mother a bouquet of flowers.
她的母亲是一位退休教师。
Tā de mǔqīn shì yī wèi tuìxiū jiàoshī.
Her mother is a retired teacher.
在他心中，母亲永远是最伟大的人。
Zài tā xīnzhōng, mǔqīn yǒngyuǎn shì zuì wěidà de rén.
In his heart, his mother is forever the greatest person.