Chinese Conversation · Level 9
90 words
Chinese word
妈
Pronunciation
Pinyinmā
Meaning
- nounmom
Example
妈，我回来了。mā wǒ huí lái le
Mom, I'm home.
More examples
我和妈一起去公园。wǒ hé mā yì qǐ qù gōng yuán
My mom and I go to the park.
Core concept
A close, everyday family call to one's mother.
Common phrases
和妈一起hé mā yì qǐ
with mom
给妈买礼物gěi mā mǎi lǐ wù
buy a gift for mom
叫妈jiào mā
call mom
Similar words
妈妈mā mā: An affectionate everyday family term for one's mother, used when addressing or referring to her.
Definition in Chinese
用来称呼自己的母亲，口语中常见，语气亲切。yòng lái chēng hū zì jǐ de mǔ qīn kóu yǔ zhōng cháng jiàn yǔ qì qīn qiè
Word origin
In 妈 (mā, "mom"), 女 (nǚ, "woman") carries the meaning and 马 (mǎ, "horse") contributes the sound, showing how different parts of a Chinese character can do different jobs.
Usage tips
- Tone is part of this short word: mā keeps a high, level pitch, so changing the pitch can produce a different meaning even when the sounds otherwise seem similar.