妈妈

• Pinyin: mā ma
• Hanzi breakdown: 妈 = 女 (woman) + 马 (horse, phonetic component)

Meaning

Mother; mom. The most common and affectionate way to address or refer to one's mother.

Used universally in both formal and informal contexts to refer to one's mother. In casual speech, 妈 alone is also common. Not used to address other women unless they are mother figures.

Examples

1. 妈妈每天早上六点起床做早饭。 Mom gets up at six every morning to make breakfast.
2. 我想给妈妈买一个生日礼物。 I want to buy a birthday present for my mom.
3. 妈妈说今天晚上我们吃饺子。 Mom said we're having dumplings for dinner tonight.

Usage Guide

Context: family, everyday

Tone: affectionate

Do Say

• 妈妈，我回来了！(Mom, I'm home!)
• 她妈妈是一位老师。(Her mother is a teacher.)

Don't Say

• 对陌生的年长女性说'妈妈，请问...' (Don't call a stranger 'mama' to get their attention — use 阿姨 or 您好 instead)

Origin & History

A reduplication of 妈, derived from the near-universal infant vocalisation 'mama' found across world languages.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal