Writing
How to say “mom” in Chinese
妈妈
Mother, mom
noun
Character composition
妈
mother, mom
妈
mother, mom
Radicals / Keys
女
Woman
#38 · nǚ · 3 strokes
Examples
我爱妈妈。
I love my mom.
妈妈在家。
Mom is at home.
Mnemonic
[māma-] Mamma Mia is throwing a surprise party for her 妈妈 with balloons 🎈 and a cake. She decorates the room with two identical figures, calling them "Mama-dolls," as a nod to 妈妈, creating a whimsical scene filled with laughter and joy.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say mom in Mandarin Chinese?
The most common everyday word is 妈妈 (māma).
What is the difference between 妈妈 and 母亲?
妈妈 is warm and conversational. 母亲 (mǔqīn) means “mother” and sounds more formal or written.
What is the traditional form of 妈妈?
The traditional Chinese form is 媽媽; the pronunciation is still māma.
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Grammar with 妈妈
的 — close relationship possession
Pronoun + Close Person
呢 — ongoing action
Subj. + Verb Phrase + 呢 (ne)
家, 员, 子 — noun suffixes for people
Stem + 家 (jiā) / 员 (yuán) / 子 (zi)
为 — for someone
Subj. + 为 (wèi) + Someone/Something + Verb / 为 (wèi) + Someone/Something + Adj.
看把 — look how…
(你 (nǐ)) + 看 (kàn) / 瞧 (qiáo) + 把 (bǎ) + Person + State + 得 (de) + Extent
无 — double negation in Chinese
无 (wú) + A + 不 (bù) + B