zap1 maa1執媽执妈
Jyutpingzap1 maa1
Yalejāp mā
Definition
A female midwife or birth assistant.
colloquialpeoplehealth
How it's used
Refers specifically to traditional midwives who operated outside of modern hospital settings. It carries a nostalgic or historical tone, as the role has been largely replaced by professional medical staff in contemporary Hong Kong. Using this term for a modern hospital-trained obstetrician would be inaccurate and sound quite strange.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
In the past, most people looked for a midwife to help with the delivery.
Do you know where one can still find a midwife?
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the verb 執, which means to pick up or tidy. The term is strictly a noun referring to the person.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
