TongTong
Sign in

生母 (shēng mǔ) — biological mother

Definition

Literally 'birth mother': the woman who gave birth to you, used in contrast to 养母 (adoptive mother). It is a formal, written-style noun — not used in casual reference to one's own mom.

noun
biological mother
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 生母。
    Tā de shēng mǔ zài tā hěn xiǎo de shí hou jiù qù shì le.
    Her biological mother died when she was very young.
  • 生母。
    Tā cóng xiǎo jiù zhī dào shēng mǔ hé yǎng mǔ de qū bié.
    He has known the difference between his biological mother and his adoptive mother since childhood.
  • 生母，。
    Suī rán shēng mǔ bú zài shēn biān, dàn tā yì zhí xiǎng niàn tā.
    Although her biological mother is not by her side, she has always missed her.

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.

生shēngbirth
母mǔmother

The 生 birth and 母 mother combine to indicate a biological mother.

Characters in this word

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

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Open 生 →

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 母 →
Appears in
Family & Kinship

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.