継母

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 継母 is read as ままはは and is a noun for a stepmother, a mother related through the father’s remarriage.
• Basic usage: Celebrating a birthday with a stepmother appears in 継母と一緒に祝う, while making the stepmother the acting subject in a story appears in 継母が旅に出る.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Difference from 実母
  • 継母 denotes a mother related through remarriage rather than a biological mother.