Definition
娘 (niáng) is an older, literary or dialectal term for 'mother', warmer than formal 母亲 (mǔ qīn) but less common in everyday speech than 妈妈 (mā ma). It can also mean 'young lady' in historical or respectful contexts, distinct from the modern 姑娘 (gū niang) and the younger 少女 (shào nǚ).
noun
mother (informal/affectionate, especially in regional or literary use)young lady (in older or dialectal usage, often as a respectful term)
Easily confused
- 狼lánglook-alikewolf
Examples
- 娘。Wǒ niáng zuò de cài zuì hǎo chī.My mom's cooking is the best.
- 。Zhè wèi gūniáng shì běifāng rén.This young lady is from the north.
- 娘,。niáng měitiān zǎoqǐ gànhuó, fēicháng xīnkǔ.My mother gets up early every day to work; it's very hard.
Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.