父母 (fù mǔ)

Character breakdown

• 父 (fù) · 4 strokes

  Pictograph of a hand holding something. The exact nature of the object is unclear. Variously explained as a rod or a hatchet.

• 母 (mǔ) · 5 strokes

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