old mother; self-reference by married women
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesnoun
old mother; one's elderly mother
A respectful or affectionate term for one's own mother or an elderly mother figure.
Tā他
huí回
dào到
jiā家
，
kàn看
jiàn见
lǎo老
niáng娘
zhèng正
zài在
chú厨
fáng房
lǐ里
zuò做
fàn饭
。
He returned home and saw his old mother cooking in the kitchen.
Tā她
měi每
gè个
yuè月
dōu都
jì寄
qián钱
huí回
qu去
gěi给
xiāng乡
xià下
de的
lǎo老
niáng娘
。
She sends money back to her old mother in the countryside every month.
pronoun
(dialect) self-reference by a married middle-aged or elderly woman (often with arrogance or boldness)
dialectUsed in some dialects (e.g., parts of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, or northern dialects) to convey self-importance, boldness, or arrogance. Often used in confrontational or assertive contexts.
Lǎo老
niáng娘
jīn今
tiān天
xīn心
qíng情
bù不
hǎo好
，
nǐ你
men们
shuí谁
dōu都
bié别
lái来
rě惹
wǒ我
！
This old lady is in a bad mood today, so none of you better provoke me!
Xiǎng想
dāng当
nián年
，
lǎo老
niáng娘
wǒ我
yě也
shì是
cūn村
lǐ里
de的
yī一
zhī枝
huā花
。
Back in the day, this old lady was also the prettiest flower in the village.
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Nǐ你
suàn算
lǎo老
jǐ几
？
Lǎo老
niáng娘
chī吃
guo过
de的
yán盐
bǐ比
nǐ你
chī吃
guo过
de的
fàn饭
hái还
duō多
。
Who do you think you are? This old lady has eaten more salt than you have eaten rice.