嫲 (ma) - Mother — informal term for mother or grandmother, & also used for addressing elderly women.

嫲Tone 5

ma ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

伦妙

嫲 · ma

Mother — informal term for mother or grandmother, especially in Cantonese and other southern Chinese dialects;

also used for addressing elderly women.

Mother — informal term for mother or grandmother,also used for addressing elderly women.

Usage highlights

Paternal grandmotherGrandmaMotherOld ladyGrandmother and grandfatherGrandma's house

Synonyms

  • 婆— grandmother (more general term)
  • 奶奶— paternal grandmother (Mandarin equivalent)
  • 祖母— grandmother (formal term)

Antonyms

  • 公— grandfather (male counterpart)
  • 爷— grandfather (informal)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • My grandmother (嫲嫲) lives in Guangzhou.
  • The child calls his paternal grandmother (阿嫲).
  • In Cantonese, 嫲嫲 refers to paternal grandmother.
  • She helps take care of her grandma (嫲嫲).

Collocations

  • Paternal grandmother(嫲嫲)
  • Grandma(阿嫲)
  • Mother-in-law(家嫲)
  • Old lady(老嫲)
  • Grandmother and grandfather(嫲公)
  • Grandma's house(嫲屋)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Primarily used in Cantonese and Min dialects as a kinship term for grandmother.
  • In Cantonese, 嫲嫲 specifically refers to paternal grandmother, while maternal grandmother is 婆婆.
  • Represents the linguistic diversity of Chinese dialects, particularly in southern China.
  • Shows the informal, affectionate nature of family address terms in Chinese culture.

FAQ