妈 (mā) — mom; mother
Definition
Informal, spoken 'mom' — used when talking to or about your own mother in everyday conversation. More casual than 母亲 (mǔqīn), the written/formal word.
noun
mommother
Measure word · 个
Examples
- 妈。Wǒ mā zuò de cài zuì hǎo chī.My mom makes the best food.
- 妈。Tā měi tiān gěi tā mā dǎ yí gè diàn huà.He calls his mom every day.
- 妈，。mā, Wǒ jīn tiān zǎo diǎn huí jiā.Mom, I'll come home earlier today.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.
This origin belongs to the traditional form 媽; 妈 is its simplified writing.
Sound part声符shēngfú
馬
馬mǎ媽mā
Same sound today
The traditional form 媽 pairs 女 (woman) with 馬, which gives the sound. The simplified 妈 is a later shorthand.
Appears in
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.