mother
gb/mˈʌðɚ/ us/mˈʌðɚ/
A1
English
~ 400
anya, nevelőanya, nem vér szerinti anya, forrás, bölcső, valaminek az anyja, anyáskodik, anyai gonddal gondoskodik
NOUN
A1
1
anya
A1
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s mother
My mother taught me how to cook.
Édesanyám tanított meg főzni.
She is a proud mother of three children.
Három gyermek büszke édesanyja.
His mother lives in another city now.
The mother hugged her daughter tightly before school.
I called my mother to share the good news.
Learner examples
My mother is very kind.
Édesanyám nagyon kedves.
Her mother works in a school.
Az édesanyja egy iskolában dolgozik.
I live with my mother and father.
His mother is at home now.
The baby is with its mother.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'mother' with 'mom' or 'mum' without realizing that 'mother' is more formal or neutral, while the others are more informal or regional.
Meaning
female parent of a child
Collocations
single mother
|working mother
|mother and child
|mother figure
|expectant mother
Synonyms
mom (Informal and especially common in American English; same core meaning.)
|
parent (Gender-neutral term; not specific to female.)
Antonyms
father (Male parent; opposite gender role in the family.)
Themes
family
|daily life
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A woman who has a child or children she gave birth to.
A woman in relation to her child or children, especially one who has given birth to them.
NOUN
B1
2
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s mother
She became his mother through adoption.
Örökbefogadással lett az anyja.
My foster mother was very supportive.
A nevelőanyám nagyon sokat támogatott.
His stepmother treated him like her own son.
The children see her as a mother figure.
Even though she didn't give birth to me, she is my mother.
Learner examples
My stepmother is very nice.
A mostohaanyám nagyon kedves.
She is my foster mother.
Ő a nevelőanyám.
He lives with his adoptive mother.
She is like a mother to me.
Her stepmother helps her with homework.
Meaning
female caregiver of a child
Collocations
adoptive mother
|foster mother
|stepmother
|mother figure
Synonyms
guardian (Someone legally responsible for a child; not necessarily parental role in daily life.)
|
caretaker (Focuses on providing care rather than familial relationship.)
Antonyms
childless woman (A woman without children under her care.)
Themes
family
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A woman who takes care of and raises a child, even if she did not give birth to the child.
A woman who fulfills the role of parent to a child, even if she is not the biological parent.
NOUN
B2
LITERARY
3
Usage pattern:
the mother of [something]
Necessity is the mother of invention.
A szükség a találékonyság anyja.
Athens is often called the mother of democracy.
Athént gyakran a demokrácia bölcsőjének nevezik.
The river is the mother of life for the region.
Curiosity is the mother of learning.
Learner examples
Necessity is the mother of invention.
A szükség a találékonyság anyja.
The Nile is the mother of life for Egypt.
A Nílus az élet forrása Egyiptom számára.
Curiosity is the mother of knowledge.
Meaning
origin or source of something
Collocations
mother of invention
|mother tongue
Synonyms
source (Neutral, non-figurative term for origin.)
|
origin (Refers directly to where something began.)
Antonyms
result (Something produced by a cause rather than being the cause itself.)
Themes
metaphor
|origin
|core_vocabulary
Definition
The place or thing where something first comes from.
Something regarded as the source or origin of another thing.
VERB
B2
4
Usage pattern:
to mother [someone]
She devoted her life to mothering abandoned animals.
Egész életét annak szentelte, hogy anyai gonddal gondoskodjon a gazdátlan állatokról.
He felt smothered by her constant need to mother him.
Fojtogatónak érezte, hogy a nő folyton anyáskodni akar felette.
She has been mothering her younger siblings since their parents died.
The nurse tried to mother the injured boy until his parents arrived.
Learner examples
She mothers her little brother every day.
Mindennap anyáskodik az öccse felett.
The teacher mothers the students on the trip.
A tanár a kiránduláson anyáskodik a diákok felett.
She mothers her cat like it is her baby.
Meaning
care for like a parent
Collocations
mothering skills
|to mother a child
Synonyms
nurture (Emphasizes supporting growth and development, not always maternal.)
|
care for (General phrase for looking after someone; not specifically maternal.)
Antonyms
neglect (Failing to provide necessary care or attention.)
Themes
caregiving
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To take care of someone like a mother does.
To give maternal care or attention to someone.
Grammar
Dictionary form
mother
IPA
GB/mˈʌðɚ/
US/mˈʌðɚ/
Syllables & stress
moth - er (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (moth)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: mother
- Plural: mothers
Verb
- Base: mother
- 3rd Person Singular: mothers
- Present Participle: mothering
- Past: mothered
Word family
Forms
mothers
noun
mothering
verb
mothered
verb
Core family
Related words
Negative and opposite forms
motherless
adjective
Expressions
mother tongue
1/mˈʌðɚ tˈʌŋ/
fixed phrase
person's first language learned at home
The first language you learn when you are a baby.
Examples
- Spanish is my mother tongue, but I also speak English.
- His mother tongue influences how he pronounces English words.
single mother
1/sˈɪŋɡəl mˈʌðɚ/
fixed phrase
woman raising child alone
A woman who takes care of her child or children without a husband or partner living with her.
Examples
- She is a single mother with two jobs.
- Being a single mother can be challenging but rewarding.
like mother, like daughter
1/lˈaɪk mˈʌðɚ | lˈaɪk dˈɔtɚ/
idiom
daughters are similar to mothers
Daughters are often like their mothers in looks or ways of acting.
Examples
- She loves gardening just like her mom—like mother, like daughter.
- She loves baking just like her mom—like mother, like daughter.
- They both have the same laugh—like mother, like daughter.
- They both have the same laugh; like mother, like daughter.
necessity is the mother of invention
1/nəsˈɛsɪti ˈɪz ðə mˈʌðɚ əv ɪnvˈɛnʃən/
fixed phrase
need makes people inventive
When people really need something, they find new and clever ways to get it or solve the problem.
Examples
- During the blackout, we cooked on a small gas stove—necessity is the mother of invention.
- When our car broke down in the desert, we used tape and rope to fix it—necessity is the mother of invention.
- He built a simple cooling system from old parts—necessity is the mother of invention.
- They built a shelter from scraps. Necessity is the mother of invention.
- During the pandemic, many businesses moved online, proving that necessity is the mother of invention.
- Many medical advances show that necessity is the mother of invention.
- He built his own heating system from old parts, saying that necessity is the mother of invention.
necessity is the mother of invention
4/nəsˈɛsɪti ˈɪz ðə mˈʌðɚ əv ɪnvˈɛnʃən/
fixed phrase
need produces new ideas
people often invent things because they really need a solution to a problem
Examples
- When the power went out, they cooked dinner over a camping stove—necessity is the mother of invention.
- During the crisis, small businesses found creative ways to survive; necessity is the mother of invention.
- She built the tool because nothing else worked, proving that necessity is the mother of invention.
Learner examples
- I made my own desk from old wood because necessity is the mother of invention.
- They created a new delivery system during the pandemic; necessity is the mother of invention.