mā
姆妈
mother; respectful term for an older married woman
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 4 examplesnoun
mother
dialectUsed primarily in certain southern Chinese dialects, such as Cantonese or Hakka. More intimate and colloquial than the standard Mandarin '妈妈'.
Ngǒ我
mā嬷
zyú煮
ge嘅
faahn饭
zeoi最
hou好
sik食
。
The food my mom cooks is the most delicious.
Keóih佢
ge嘅
mā嬷
hóu好
sek锡
keóih佢
。
His mother dotes on him.
noun
auntie; respectful term for an older married woman
dialectUsed as a respectful term of address, often prefixed with a surname (e.g., 张嬷). Common in traditional communities and some dialects.
Zoeng张
mā嬷
，
zou早
san晨
！
Good morning, Auntie Zhang!
Can陈
mā嬷
hai係
ngo我
de哋
gaai街
fong坊
ge嘅
zoeng长
lou老
。
Auntie Chan is an elder in our neighborhood.