妈妈
māma
The Chinese word for mom is 妈妈 (māma).
妈妈 is an informal word for a female parent.
Which one should you use?
While 妈妈 is the standard informal term, 妈 and 妈咪 are also used as informal ways to say mommy. For a more formal and respectful way to refer to your mother, use 母亲.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
妈妈 is the common informal way to say mom. For official or literary contexts, the formal term is 母亲. The forms 妈 and 妈咪 are also informal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese-speaking regions, the forms 媽媽 and 媽咪 are used.
How do you pronounce it?
māma
Did you know?
- In certain historical contexts or traditional literature, a mother might be referred to as 家慈, a respectful term used by others to refer to someone else's mother.
- If you are in a very formal or poetic setting, you might encounter the term 慈母, which literally means 'kind mother'. It is a way to exalt a mother's virtue through a specific adjective.
- The character 妈 contains the 女 radical, which means 'woman' or 'female'. This radical appears in many Chinese words related to women and family.
Examples in context
- 这是我的妈妈。This is my mom.This sentence is useful for introducing your 妈妈.Tatoeba #330581 by vermouthmjl, translation #1061529 by ArizonaJim
- 妈妈比爸爸老。Mom is older than Dad.This sentence uses 妈妈 to make a comparison between parents.Tatoeba #8511069 by maxine, translation #482368 by adjusting
- 妈妈在这里吗？Is Mom here?This sentence uses 妈妈 to ask about a person's presence.Tatoeba #10972063 by xjjAstrus, translation #5973368 by ApioDelPueblo
- 我爱你，妈妈I love you, mom.
- 妈咪，我饿了Mommy, I'm hungry.
- 亲爱的母亲，谢谢你的支持Dear mother, thank you for your support.
- 32 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking on the phone about their families.
- 浩然 Haoran你妈妈在做什么？Nǐ māma zài zuò shénme?What is your mom doing?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我妈妈在看书。Wǒ māma zài kànshū.My mom is reading a book.
- 浩然 Haoran替我问候你的妈妈。Tì wǒ wènhòu nǐ de māma.Give my regards to your mom.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen好的，我会转达的。Hǎo de, wǒ huì zhuǎndá de.Okay, I will tell her.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
