妈妈
māma
妈妈 (māma) is the Chinese word for mama.
妈妈 is an informal term for mother. It is used by children when addressing their mothers and by adults when speaking about their mothers in casual contexts.
Which one should you use?
妈妈 is the common, informal way to say mama, whereas 母亲 is a more formal term used in writing or formal speeches.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For more formal situations, such as formal speeches or written works, use 母亲. Another term often used in Mandarin is 妈咪.
How does it change in a sentence?
To indicate possession, such as 'mama's', you add the particle 的 after 妈妈 to form 妈妈的.
How do you pronounce it?
māma
Did you know?
- The character 妈 contains the 'female' radical 女 and the character 马, which means 'horse'. These two sounds were historically similar, and the 'horse' character was borrowed for its sound to create the word for mother.
- In traditional Chinese culture, the concept of 'filial piety' or 孝 (xiào) dictates that how you address and treat your 'mama' is a fundamental measure of your character.
- While 妈妈 is used for biological mothers, the term 干妈妈 refers to a 'godmother' or a woman who has a motherly bond with someone without a blood relation.
Examples in context
- 妈妈有一张残缺的脸。Mama had a crippled face.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 妈妈 in a description.Tatoeba #4844787 by pig8322, translation #4834102 by derpapottamus
- Māma, wǒ ài nǐ! (妈妈，我爱你！)Mama, I love you!
- Wǒ de māma shì zuì hǎo de! (我的妈妈是最好的！)My mama is the best!
- 我非常爱我的妈妈。Wǒ fēicháng ài wǒ de māma.I love my mother very much.
- 妈妈正在厨房里做饭。Māma zhèngzài chúfáng lǐ zuò fàn.Mom is cooking in the kitchen.
Example conversation
Yuting and Zhiqiang are talking about their families.
- 雨婷 Yuting你妈妈身体好吗？Nǐ māma shēntǐ hǎo ma?Is your mom in good health?
- 志强 Zhiqiang她很好，谢谢你。Tā hěn hǎo, xièxie nǐ.She is very well, thank you.
- 雨婷 Yuting我的妈妈最近经常感冒。Wǒ de māma zuìjìn jīngcháng gǎnmào.My mom has been catching colds lately.
- 志强 Zhiqiang那你要多照顾她。Nà nǐ yào duō zhàogù tā.Then you should take more care of her.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
