mother's daughter
- noun
- /ˈmʌðərz ˈdɔtər/
:
hija de mamá
- As a mother's daughter, she developed a love for gardening from an early age.
Examples
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She is truly her mother's daughter!
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Everyone noticed that Lisa, a mother's daughter, always supported her mom's opinions at family gatherings.
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People say Emily is truly her mother's daughter, with the same quick wit and determination.
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My sister is definitely mother's daughter.
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She always dresses elegantly, just like her mother's daughter.
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When she started painting, her style instantly reminded everyone of her mother's daughter.
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People say that her cooking skills are proof that she is her mother's daughter.
Surface Forms
Morphology
mother's + daughter
The literal composition 'mother's' + 'daughter' (the daughter of her mother) is transparent, but the pragmatic/idiomatic sense 'she resembles or is favored by her mother' is an inference beyond straightforward composition and depends on conventional usage. Many languages have similar family-based sayings, so learners may guess the resemblance sense in some contexts, but it is not fully predictable for a B1 learner without prior exposure.
Etymology
Mother's daughter comes from a simple picture: a girl who looks and acts like her mother and who often gets extra help or attention from her. So calling someone a mother's daughter means she is 'like' and often 'favored by' her mother.
