mother; respectful term for older woman
Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesnoun
mother; mom
informalA common, affectionate term for one's own mother, used primarily in spoken language.
Wǒ我
mā妈
ma妈
shì是
zuì最
hǎo好
de的
chú厨
shī师
。
My mom is the best cook.
Mā妈
ma妈
，
wǒ我
è饿
le了
。
Mom, I'm hungry.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
Hái孩
zi子
men们
pǎo跑
xiàng向
tā他
men们
de的
mā妈
ma妈
。
The children ran to their mothers.
noun
respectful term for an older woman; auntie
dialectA polite and affectionate term used to address an older, often familiar, woman who is not one's mother. More common in some dialects (e.g., Southern China).
Wáng王
mā妈
ma妈
，
nín您
zuì最
jìn近
shēn身
tǐ体
hǎo好
ma吗
？
Auntie Wang, how is your health lately?
Jiē街
fang坊
lín邻
jū居
dōu都
jiào叫
tā她
Lǐ李
mā妈
ma妈
。
The neighbors all call her Auntie Li.