我爱你，妈妈
wǒ ài nǐ, māma
The English phrase "I love you, mama" can be translated into Chinese as 我爱你，妈妈 (wǒ ài nǐ, māma).
This phrase is used to express deep affection and love for one's mother. While grammatically correct, Chinese speakers often express affection through actions or different phrasing rather than the direct 我爱你 used in English.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 我 (I), 爱 (love), 你 (you) and 妈妈 (mama).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Using 我爱你，妈 is a more clipped, informal way to address one's mother.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the word 妈妈, the second syllable is often pronounced with a neutral tone (māma) in standard Mandarin.
How do you pronounce it?
wǒ ài nǐ, māma
Did you know?
- The character 爱 (love) originally included a part meaning 'heart', but the simplified version used in mainland China removed it.
- In many Chinese families, saying 我爱你 can feel almost too intense or even awkward. Instead of verbalizing love, people often show it by asking 'Have you eaten yet?' or by peeling fruit for you.
- If you write the characters for 妈妈, the first character 妈 is composed of the radical for 'woman' on the left and the phonetic component 'horse' on the right. This shows how many Chinese characters are built from meaningful components.
Examples in context
- 我想对妈妈说，我爱你，妈妈。Wǒ xiǎng duì māma shuō, wǒ ài nǐ, māma.I want to say to mama, I love you, mama.
- 孩子对着妈妈说：我爱你，妈妈。Háizi duìzhe māma shuō: wǒ ài nǐ, māma.The child says to mama: I love you, mama.
Example conversation
A child is giving a handmade card to his mother.
- 浩然 Haoran妈妈，看我送给你的礼物。Māma, kàn wǒ sòng gěi nǐ de lǐwù.Mama, look at the gift I gave you.
- 梓涵 Zihan谢谢浩然，这张卡片真漂亮。Xièxiè Hàorán, zhè zhāng kǎpiàn zhēn piàoliang.Thank you Haoran, this card is really beautiful.
- 浩然 Haoran我爱你，妈妈。Wǒ ài nǐ, māma.I love you, mama.
- 梓涵 Zihan我也爱你，我的好孩子。Wǒ yě ài nǐ, wǒ de hǎo háizi.I love you too, my good child.
