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HSK 1

妈妈

mom; mother

nounspoken
妈
mā1st tone
妈
maneutral tone

HSK level

1
2
3
4
5
6
Pinyin
māma
Part of speech
noun
Level
HSK 1
Strokes
12
Register
spoken
Measure word
位 / 个

Stroke order for 妈妈

妈妈 is written with 12 strokes (妈: 6, 妈: 6). The animation replays automatically.

What does 妈妈 mean?

妈妈 (māma) is the everyday Chinese word for 'mom' — the term grown adults still use to address and refer to their own mothers.

Unlike English, where 'mom' can sound childish past a certain age, 妈妈 is the standard, unmarked word across all life stages. The second syllable is a neutral tone (māma, not māmā). Address forms are also 妈 (mā) on its own — like 'mom!'

— and the slightly more formal 母亲 (mǔqīn), reserved for writing, speeches, and respectful contexts (Mother's Day = 母亲节 mǔqīn jié, never 妈妈节). Possessive use: 我妈妈 (my mom), 你妈妈 (your mom) — 的 is usually dropped for close family.

Note: 妈妈 is the everyday term used by speakers of all ages — equivalent to English 'mom.' For formal writing (forms, news, obituaries) the term is 母亲 (mǔqīn). Very young children may also say 妈 (mā).

Character by character

妈māmom (女 'female' radical + 马 'horse' as phonetic)
+
妈marepeated for the disyllabic kinship term; second syllable is neutral tone
=
妈妈

Memory hook: The 女 (female) radical on the left marks family terms; 马 (mǎ, 'horse') is the sound clue.

Example sentences

我妈妈是老师。

Wǒ māma shì lǎoshī.

My mom is a teacher.

spoken

妈妈，我饿了。

Māma, wǒ è le.

Mom, I'm hungry.

spoken

他妈妈很漂亮。

Tā māma hěn piàoliang.

His mom is very pretty.

spoken

我爱妈妈和爸爸。

Wǒ ài māma hé bàba.

I love mom and dad.

spoken

Common phrases with 妈妈

我妈妈wǒ māmamy mom
妈妈做的菜māma zuò de càithe food mom makes
爸爸妈妈bàba māmamom and dad (lit. 'dad mom')
妈妈节māma jié(informal) Mother's Day — the standard term is 母亲节

Synonyms

母亲mǔqīn

母亲 is the formal/written word for 'mother.' Use it on official forms, in speeches, news, or respectful third-person reference. Don't address your mom as 母亲 at home — it sounds stiff. 妈妈 is the daily word.

妈mā

妈 alone is a direct address — calling out 'Mom!' or appearing in compounds (大妈 'aunty'). 妈妈 is the full noun form for both reference and address.

Don't confuse 妈妈 with

马mǎ

马 (mǎ, third tone) is 'horse.' 妈 (mā, first tone) is 'mom.' Same right-side component, but 妈 has the 女 (female) radical and a flat first tone.

吗ma

吗 is the question particle at the end of yes/no questions. 妈 is the noun 'mom.' Both contain 马, but 吗 has 口 (mouth) and 妈 has 女 (female).

Frequently asked questions

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