‘恋母’ (liàn mǔ) is a psychological term referring to an intense, often unconscious emotional attachment of a child—typically a son—to his mother, echoing the Freudian concept of the Oedipus complex. The character 恋 (liàn) means 'to be infatuated with' or 'to yearn for', while 母 (mǔ) means 'mother'; together they literally convey 'infatuation with mother'. This term is used almost exclusively in academic, clinical, or analytical contexts—not in everyday conversation—and carries strong psychoanalytic connotations.

In Chinese psychology discourse, 恋母 describes developmental patterns where a child shows excessive dependence, possessiveness, or rivalry toward the parent of the opposite sex. It is not used to describe normal affection or filial piety (孝 xiào), which is culturally valued. Misusing 恋母 to label typical mother–child closeness is inaccurate and potentially stigmatizing; it implies pathological intensity or unresolved childhood dynamics.