母女
mǔ nǚ · HSK 6
mother-daughter
👩👧 母 (mother) + 女 (woman/daughter) = the mother-daughter bond
Both characters share the 女 radical. 母 itself evolved from 女 with two dots representing breasts — literally the woman who nurtures. Together they name the specific family pairing.
母 — pictograph of kneeling woman with two breast dots
母 is a pictograph derived from 女 (woman) with two added dots representing breasts, marking a nursing mother. The earliest oracle bone forms show a kneeling figure with prominent dots on the chest. The meaning has stayed remarkably stable, denoting 'mother' and by extension 'female' or 'source/origin'.
女 — pictograph of a kneeling woman
女 is a pictograph originating in oracle bone script, depicting a person kneeling with arms crossed in front, a posture associated with women in ancient China. Over time the form was simplified and squared off into the modern character. Its core meaning of 'woman' or 'female' has remained stable for over three thousand years.