馍馍
mómo
The word for momo, the dumpling, in Chinese is 馍馍 (mómo).
The name momo for the Tibetan and Nepali dumpling comes from the Chinese word 馍馍. In northern China, 馍馍 usually means a steamed bun, so add context if you mean the filled dumplings.
Meaning: type of dumpling (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
In pinyin it is mómo, a rising tone on the first syllable.
Did you know?
- The word 馍馍 is an example of a reduplicated noun, a common feature in Chinese where repeating a syllable can indicate a sense of cuteness or familiarity.
- The texture of a good 馍馍 is often judged by its 'elasticity', a quality highly prized in Chinese flour-based foods that is difficult to translate into a single English word.
- The term 馍馍 is often used in the context of 'steamed bread', which differs from 包子 ('bāozi'), the specific term for a bun with a filling.
Examples in context
- 我想吃一些饃饃。(Wǒ xiǎng chī yīxiē mó mǒ.)I want to eat some momo.
- 你知道在哪里可以买到好吃的饃饃吗？(Nǐ zhīdào zài nǎlǐ kěyǐ mǎidào hǎochī de mó mǒ ma?)Do you know where I can buy delicious momo?
- 这个馍馍真好吃。Zhège mómo zhēn hǎochī.This momo is really delicious.
- 我最喜欢这种馍馍。Wǒ zuì xǐhuān zhè zhǒng mómo.I like this kind of momo the most.
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding what to eat for breakfast.
- 浩然 Haoran晓雯，你想吃什么？Xiǎowén, nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?Xiaowen, what do you want to eat?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我想吃热腾腾的馍馍。Wǒ xiǎng chī rèténgténg de mómó.I want to eat some steaming hot momo.
- 浩然 Haoran我也想吃，我们去买吧。Wǒ yě xiǎng chī, wǒmen qù mǎi ba.I want some too, let's go buy some.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen太好了，走吧！Tài hǎo le, zǒu ba!Great, let's go!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 馍馍, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
