Definition

1. Noun:
   • Mother-in-law: Specifically refers to the mother of one's spouse. This is a respectful and formal term used to address or refer to one's wife's mother or husband's mother.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Tôi rất quý bà nhạc của mình. (I am very fond of my mother-in-law.)
  • Cuối tuần này, vợ chồng tôi sẽ về thăm bà nhạc. (This weekend, my wife and I will visit my mother-in-law.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "bà nhạc" is considered polite and formal. It is commonly used in both direct address and third-person reference.
  • Thưa bà nhạc, con mới về. (Hello, mother-in-law, I have just returned.)
• It is part of a set of specific kinship terms in Vietnamese that denote precise family relationships, contrasting with the more general English term "mother-in-law."

Variants and Related Words

• Mẹ vợ: (noun) Wife's mother. This is another common way to specify "mother-in-law" on the wife's side.
• Mẹ chồng: (noun) Husband's mother. This is the specific term for "mother-in-law" on the husband's side.
• Bố nhạc / Ông nhạc: (noun) Father-in-law. The male counterpart to "bà nhạc".

Synonyms

• Mẹ chồng/vợ: A more direct and common synonym, specifying the spouse's side (husband's mother/wife's mother).
• Bên vợ/chồng: Can be used in context to refer to the in-law's family side (e.g., "nhà bên vợ" - the wife's family home).

Notes on Meaning

• "Bà nhạc" is a single, specific term. It does not change form based on whether it refers to the husband's or wife's mother. The context of the conversation usually clarifies which side is meant. For explicit clarification, the terms mẹ vợ or mẹ chồng are used.
• It carries a connotation of respect and formality, often used in polite conversation and formal family contexts.

noun

1. Mother-in-law