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养母 (yǎng mǔ) — foster mother

Definition

A mother who raises a child that is not biologically hers (i.e., through adoption or fostering). Note the parallel term 养父 (yǎng fù), meaning 'foster/adoptive father.'

noun
foster mother
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 养母。
    Tā cóng xiǎo yóu yǎng mǔ zhào gù zhǎng dà.
    She was raised by her foster mother from childhood.
  • 养母。
    Wǒ de yǎng mǔ duì wǒ xiàng qīn shēng nǚ ér yí yàng.
    My foster mother treats me like her own daughter.
  • 养母。
    yǎng mǔ Hé yǎng fù dōu hěn ài tā.
    Both her foster mother and foster father love her very much.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

养yǎngfoster/raise
母mǔmother

“养” gives foster/raise and “母” gives mother, together a foster mother.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 養; 养 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 養 uses 羊 as a sound part and 食 as a meaning part.

Open 养 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 母 →
Appears in
Family & Kinship

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