dialect; mother-in-law; grandmother; respectful term for elderly woman
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
3 senses · 7 examplesnoun
mother-in-law (husband's mother)
dialectUsed in southern Chinese dialects like Cantonese and Minnan, equivalent to Mandarin '婆婆'.
Wǒ我
ā阿
pó婆
duì对
wǒ我
hěn很
hǎo好
。
My mother-in-law is very good to me.
Jīn今
rì日
yào要
fǎn返
qù去
tàn探
ā阿
pó婆
。
Today, I'm going back to visit my mother-in-law.
noun
paternal grandmother
dialectPrimarily used in dialects (e.g., Cantonese, Hakka) to refer to one's father's mother.
Ā阿
pó婆
zhǔ煮
ge嘅
tāng汤
hǎo好
hǎo好
yǐn饮
。
Grandma's soup is very delicious.
Wǒ我
xì细
gè个
shí时
，
ā阿
pó婆
chéng成
rì日
jiǎng讲
gǔ古
zǎi仔
bǐ畀
wǒ我
tīng听
。
When I was little, my grandmother often told me stories.
noun
respectful term for an elderly woman
dialectA polite and affectionate way to address or refer to an older woman, similar to 'granny' or 'aunty' in English.
Nèi呢
wèi位
ā阿
pó婆
，
qǐng请
wèn问
diǎn点
qù去
dì地
tiě铁
zhàn站
？
Excuse me, ma'am, how do I get to the subway station?
Gāi街
kǒu口
mài卖
cài菜
ge嘅
ā阿
pó婆
hǎo好
shú熟
miàn面
kǒu口
。
The old lady selling vegetables at the street corner looks very familiar.
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Ā阿
pó婆
，
màn慢
màn慢
xíng行
，
xiǎo小
xīn心
dì地
huá滑
。
Take your time, granny, be careful, the floor is slippery.