Meaning
ma; mamma
Chinese: 妈妈、母亲。
Hear the Four Tones
The same syllable “ma” becomes a different word in each tone. 妈 is the 1st tone. Tap any tone to hear a native voice and see its pitch shape.
Stroke Order
Tap Animate to watch the strokes in order, or Practice to trace it yourself.
Common Words
- 妈妈mā mamama; mommy; mother
- 大妈dà māfather's elder brother's wife; aunt (affectionate term for an elderly woman)
- 妈的mā desee 他妈的
- 你妈nǐ mā(interjection) fuck you; (intensifier) fucking
- 后妈hòu mā(coll.) stepmother
Example Sentence
我妈妈做的菜很好吃。Wǒ mā ma zuò de cài hěn hǎo chī.The food my mom cooks is delicious.
我WǒI妈妈mā mamama做zuòto make的deof菜càivegetable很hěnvery好吃hǎo chītasty。
Go deeper
Where this character comes from
A woman (女) plus 马, which gives the sound (mǎ → mā). It is the familiar word for ‘mum / mother’. Simplified from 媽.
A way to remember it
Woman + the sound 马 — mama.
Easy to confuse with
- 马‘Horse’: the sound part of 妈, without the woman radical.