mou5姆
Jyutpingmou5
Yalemóuh
Definition
A woman who looks after small children, a child's governess, a babysitter, or a housemaid.
colloquialpeoplefamily
How it's used
The character 姆 is rarely used on its own in modern Cantonese and almost exclusively appears as part of the compound 保姆. It specifically refers to someone hired for childcare duties rather than a general domestic helper, who would be referred to as 工人 or 姐姐. Using it in isolation can sound archaic or literary.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
She was raised by a nanny when she was small.
Have you found a babysitter to help look after the kids yet?
Related words
Common phrases
nanny or babysitter
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 媽, which refers to a mother. Learners sometimes mispronounce or miswrite these due to the similar visual structure.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
