継まま母はは

also: けいぼ

ま

は

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

Refers to a woman who is married to one's father but is not one's biological mother. The reading ままはは is standard; けいぼ is a rare literary alternative.

彼かの女じょは私わたしの継まま母ははです。
She is my stepmother.
継まま母ははとの関かん係けいは複ふく雑ざつだ。
My relationship with my stepmother is complicated.

See all 6 example sentences ›

Kanji

継inherit, succeed, continue
母mother

Related words

義ぎ母ぼN1
継母 is used specifically for a stepmother (father's remarried wife), a narrower sense than the broader 義母.

Don't confuse with

後ご妻さい
継母 describes a stepmother in relation to her stepchildren, whereas 後妻 describes a woman's status as a man's second wife.

Written forms

継母Usage93%
- ままはは
  Standard kanji spelling for the common reading ままはは.
- けいぼ
  Rare Sino-Japanese reading; mostly encountered in formal or literary contexts.
まま母ははUsage6%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; not a standard spelling.
ままははUsage1%
ママハハUsage1%
けいぼ

Etymology

The kanji 継 means 'inherit' or 'succeed', reflecting the idea of a woman who takes over the role of mother. The reading ままはは is a native Japanese compound of まま (step-) and はは (mother).