mother

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 母 has 5 strokes and appears in words for one's mother or place of origin.
• Basic usage: 母 is read はは, and 母国 is read ぼこく.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Mother and home country
  • 母へ電話をかけた means that someone called their mother.
  • 母国の料理 means food from one's home country.
• Readings depend on the word
  • The standalone word 母 is read はは; in 母国, it is read ぼ.