A colloquial word for mother, the female parent.
Mom, mum, or mother; also used in terms for older women like 大妈. A woman (女) beside a horse (马) — she works as hard as a horse for her family.
妈
Common Usage & Traps
- 妈妈 — mom; mother
- 爸妈 — parents; dad and mom
- 我妈 — my mom
-
妈我我妈妈 / 我妈Chinese does not put 妈 directly before 我 to mean 'my mom'; use 我妈妈 or 我妈.
-
一个妈妈妈妈When talking about one's own mother, Chinese usually says 妈妈 without the measure word 一个.
Why does 妈 contain 马, and how is it different from 马?
妈 means mother; 马 means horse. They sound similar but are different characters.
妈 (mā) has the woman radical 女 on the left, so it means mother. 马 (mǎ) means horse and is a separate character. The horse part in 妈 is mainly for sound, not meaning.
| Character | Meaning | Key difference |
|---|---|---|
| 妈 | mother | has 女 (woman) radical |
| 马 | horse | no 女 radical; means animal |
When should I say 妈妈 and when should I say 妈?
妈妈 is the standard, affectionate form; 妈 alone is shorter and often used in compounds or casual speech.
妈妈 is the common word for mom in everyday speech and is safe for beginners. 妈 by itself can sound a bit abrupt, but it appears in words like 爸妈 (parents) and in direct address in some regions.
| Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 妈妈 | standard, affectionate | 妈妈，你好！ |
| 妈 | short, in compounds or casual | 爸妈 |
Appears in Stories 8 stories
Before you read, meet the grandparents! This rhyming chant helps you practice the different names for maternal and paternal grandparents in Chinese. Listen to the beat and repeat.
-
爸爸的 妈妈 叫什么？
-
爸爸的 妈妈 叫奶奶。
-
宝宝，宝宝，我再问你 妈妈的 爸爸叫什么？
-
妈妈的 爸爸叫姥爷。
-
妈妈的 妈妈 叫什么？
-
妈妈的 妈妈 叫姥姥。
Join a family on a sweltering Beijing Sunday as a boy learns a funny lesson about playing outside in the summer heat. Perfect for HSK 1 learners.
-
妈妈 也喜欢热天气。
-
对不对， 妈 ？”
-
他妈 说：“是吧！
-
我和 妈妈 去那个商店买点喝的东西。
In this warm dialogue, a parent introduces their family at a restaurant. A teacher gently corrects common mistakes about family words and names, making it perfect for HSK 2 learners.
-
你的爸爸 妈妈 也来了吗？
-
我 爸妈 都在欧洲，没过来。
-
我丈夫的 爸妈 都在家自己做饭呢。
This simple HSK 2 story introduces a warm family of six. Follow Little Bao and his British wife as they raise their two green-eyed children, each with their own personality.
-
“小包先生”的家有六口人，他的 爸妈 、儿子、女儿和他们两口子。
-
这是因为他们的 妈妈的 眼睛也是绿色的。
In this funny HSK 2 story, a boy asks his father for money every day. When his father tries to teach him a lesson, the boy's clever reply will make you laugh.
-
钱学中喜欢吃，经常找 爸妈 要钱买东西吃。
Meet Dr. Mi, a doctor and teacher at Sichuan University. This simple HSK 1 story shows his daily routine from morning to night, helping you learn time expressions and everyday activities.
-
米中家 妈妈 说：“这不是‘米老师的一天’，这是‘米老师的天天’”。
Follow Xiao Li as he copes with the effects of forest fires near his home in the US and reflects on environmental changes. A thoughtful story for HSK 4 learners.
-
他给爸爸 妈妈 打了个电话，问他们那边怎么样。
This simple story introduces you to a family and what each member likes to do. Learn helpful words for food and daily activities as you read about Grandpa, Grandma, Mom, Dad, and the kids.
-
爸爸喝热茶 妈妈 吃冷菜。
Questions & Discussion 0 questions
No questions or discussions yet. Have a question about this character/word? Be the first to ask!