Definition

1. Noun:
   • Mother-in-law (wife's mother): "Nhạc mẫu" is a formal and somewhat archaic Vietnamese term used to refer to one's wife's mother.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ngày xưa, tôi rất kính trọng nhạc mẫu của mình. (In the past, I greatly respected my mother-in-law.)
  • Theo phong tục, chàng rể phải thưa chuyện với nhạc mẫu. (According to custom, the son-in-law must discuss matters with his mother-in-law.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "nhạc mẫu" is used in formal, literary, or historical contexts. In modern, everyday Vietnamese, the more common and neutral terms are "mẹ vợ" or, when addressing directly, "mẹ".
• It belongs to a set of formal kinship terms, contrasting with "nhạc phụ" (father-in-law, wife's father).

Variants and Related Words

• Mẹ vợ (n): Mother-in-law (wife's mother). This is the standard, contemporary term.
• Nhạc phụ (n): Father-in-law (wife's father). The corresponding formal term for the wife's father.
• Mẹ chồng (n): Mother-in-law (husband's mother). The term for a woman's husband's mother.
• Bên vợ / Nhà vợ (n): The wife's side of the family.

Synonyms

• Mẹ vợ: Wife's mother (standard modern term).

Notes on Meaning

• "Nhạc mẫu" specifically and exclusively means the mother of one's wife. It is not used for the mother of one's husband (which is "mẹ chồng").
• The term carries a connotation of formality and respect, often found in classical literature, formal speeches, or historical descriptions. Its use in casual conversation today would sound very old-fashioned or intentionally ceremonial.

1. (cũ, trang trọng) Mother-in-law, one's wife's mother