嫲嫲
maa⁴ maa⁴
The English phrase "grandmother" is translated into Cantonese as 嫲嫲 (maa⁴ maa⁴). Wiktionary also lists 婆婆 (maternal) and 祖母 (zou² mou⁵).
Meaning: mother of someone's parent (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 嫲嫲 | maa⁴ maa⁴ |
| 婆婆 | maternal |
| 祖母 | zou² mou⁵ |
| 外祖母 | ngoi⁶ zou² mou⁵ |
| 外婆 | ngoi⁶ po⁴ |
婆婆 can also colloquially refer to an elderly woman in general, rather than specifically one's own grandmother.
Which one should you use?
For a paternal grandmother (father's mother), use the informal term 嫲嫲. For a maternal grandmother, the forms include 外祖母. 祖母 is a formal, written-style term for grandmother. The term 婆婆 is commonly used to refer to one's own grandmother, but in colloquial speech, it can also mean an old woman.
How do you pronounce it?
maa⁴ maa⁴
Did you know?
- The character 外 in 外婆 literally means 'outside', reflecting the historical view that the maternal side of the family was 'outside' the paternal kinship group.
- The term 嫲嫲 is a reduplicative word, a common pattern in Cantonese where syllables are doubled to create an affectionate or child-friendly tone for family members.
- In traditional Cantonese culture, the paternal grandmother 嫲嫲 historically held a higher status in the household hierarchy than the maternal grandmother 外婆.
Examples in context
- 你的阿婆身體還好嗎？Is your grandmother's health okay?
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grandmother” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
