maa1嬤嬷
Jyutpingmaa1
Yalemā
Definition
Mother; mom.
colloquialfamily
How it's used
Refers specifically to the paternal grandmother in Cantonese, distinguishing her from the maternal grandmother who is called 外婆 or 婆婆. While 嬤嬤 is standard for paternal grandmother, many families use 婆婆 as a generic term for both sides to simplify things. It carries a warm, affectionate tone when used directly as a term of address.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
When I was small, I often went to my grandmother's house to play.
Did your grandmother go for dim sum today?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 媽咪, which means mother. Using 嬤嬤 for your mother will cause significant confusion.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
