母親 / 母亲
mou⁵ can¹
The English word "mother" is translated into Cantonese as 母親 / 母亲 (mou⁵ can¹). If unsure, use 母親 / 母亲. Wiktionary also lists 母 (mou⁵) and 阿媽 / 阿妈.
Meaning: female (human) who gives birth to or parents a child (noun)
Ways to say it
| Cantonese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 母親 / 母亲 | mou⁵ can¹ |
| 母 | mou⁵ |
| 阿媽 / 阿妈 | |
| 媽媽 / 妈妈 |
All these terms refer to a female human who gives birth to or parents a child.
Which one should you use?
母親 / 母亲 is a formal term used for documentation or writing, whereas 阿媽 / 阿妈 is the standard way to refer to one's mother in everyday conversation. 媽媽 / 妈妈 is an informal and affectionate term often used by children or when speaking in a sweet tone.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
母親 / 母亲 is the most formal way to refer to someone's mother and is used in writing or official contexts. 阿媽 / 阿妈 is a common, colloquial way to say mother in spoken Cantonese. 媽媽 / 妈妈 is an informal term used for "mom" or "mommy".
How do you pronounce it?
mou⁵ can¹
Did you know?
- The character 母 is a pictograph that originally depicted a woman with breasts, symbolizing the act of nurturing a child.
- The prefix 阿 in 阿媽 is a common Cantonese feature used to create intimate or colloquial versions of kinship terms, effectively acting as a 'friendliness' marker.
- When addressing a woman of much older generation as a sign of respect, one might use terms related to maternal status even if there is no blood relation.
Examples in context
- 媽媽，我愛你。Mom, I love you.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mother” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
