阿嬤
a-má
The Hokkien word for grandmother is 阿嬤 (a-má).
阿嬤 is used to refer to the mother of one's parent.
Meaning: mother of someone's parent (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
a-má
Did you know?
- In many Hokkien-speaking communities, if a stranger asks for directions, you might address an elderly woman as 阿嬤 as a sign of respect, even if you are not related.
- In many Hokkien-speaking households, the prefix 阿 is added to kinship terms to create a sense of intimacy and warmth, transforming a formal title into a cozy nickname.
- When speaking to their own 阿嬤, a grandchild will often repeat the word twice or use a high-pitched tone to signal affection and a request for favor.
Examples in context
- 我想欲看望阿嬤。Guá siūⁿ-beh khòaⁿ-bāng a-mà.I want to visit grandmother.
Example conversation
Meiling and Zhiming are looking at an old family photo.
- 美玲 Mei-ling這是我阿嬤的照片。che sī góa ā-má ê siàng-phiàn.This is a photo of my grandmother.
- 志明 Chi-ming妳的阿嬤看起來很親切。lí ê ā-má khàn-khí-lâi hěn chhin-chiet.Your grandmother looks very kind.
- 美玲 Mei-ling是的，她對我很溫柔。sī ê, ki ê tuì góa hěn un-jû.Yes, she is very gentle with me.
- 志明 Chi-ming我也很喜歡我的阿嬤。góa iā hěn hǐ-ban góa ê ā-má.I also love my grandmother very much.
