嗨，妈妈
hāi, māmā
The English phrase "hi mommy" is translated into Chinese as 嗨，妈妈 (hāi, māmā).
This phrase is an informal greeting used by a child to address their mother.
How do you pronounce it?
hāi, māmā
Did you know?
- The character 妈 contains the radical for 'woman' and the phonetic component for 'horse', which originally provided the sound for the word.
- If a child were to say this to a woman who is not their biological mother, it could be perceived as extremely strange or even disrespectful. In Chinese culture, kinship terms carry heavy social weight.
- While 嗨 is used as a transliteration of 'hi', it is still considered an English loanword in Chinese. A more traditional way to greet a family member might avoid this modern, Westernized influence.
Examples in context
- 嗨，妈妈，我回来了。Hāi, māma, wǒ huílái le.Hi mommy, I'm back.
- 嗨，妈妈，早安。Hāi, māma, zǎo ān.Hi mommy, good morning.
- 嗨，妈妈，你看这个！Hāi, māma, nǐ kàn zhège!Hi mommy, look at this!
Example conversation
A young boy greets his mother in the living room.
- 伟 Wei嗨，妈妈！Hāi, māma!Hi mommy!
- 梓涵 Zihan宝贝，你回来了。Bǎobèi, nǐ huí lái le.Baby, you're back.
- 伟 Wei妈妈，我有礼物给你。Māma, wǒ yǒu lǐwù gěi nǐ.Mommy, I have a gift for you.
- 梓涵 Zihan真的吗？谢谢伟。Zhēn de ma? Xièxie Wěi.Really? Thank you, Wei.
