mother in Chinese

How to write 妈妈

Animated stroke order. Tap a character to replay its stroke order.

妈妈 is listed in the official HSK vocabulary at HSK 1. The beginner band covers the first, most essential words every learner needs.

妈妈 in a sentence

• 我wǒ爱ài妈mā妈mā。

  I love mom.

• 妈mā妈mā在zài做zuò饭fàn。

  Mom is cooking.

• 我wǒ妈mā妈mā是shì老lǎo师shī。

  My mother is a teacher.

• 妈mā妈mā，我wǒ回huí来lái了le。

  Mom, I'm home.

妈妈 vs 母亲 vs 娘

Similar and easily confused words, and how they differ.

• 母亲 mǔ qīn mother (formal)

  Formal/written 'mother' — 母亲节 'Mother's Day'. 妈妈 is what you actually call her.

• 娘 niáng mother (folksy)

  Older or regional word for 'mother' — 爹娘 'ma and pa' — now mostly rural speech and period dramas; also 'young woman' in old compounds.