母语 (mǔ yǔ)

Character breakdown

• 母 (mǔ) · 5 strokes

  Pictograph of a woman kneeling, with two dots representing the two nipples that mothers use to feed their young.

• 语 (yǔ) · 9 strokes

  Simplified form of 語. Phonosemantic compound. 言 represents the meaning and 吾 represents the sound.