你妈妈
nǐ mā ma
Your mom · trad. 你媽媽
你妈妈 (nǐ māma) is the standard way to say 'your mom' in Mandarin Chinese. It's generally neutral and polite, used in everyday conversations to refer to someone's mother.
When to use it
Neutral and polite. For a more casual or familiar tone, especially among friends, you can shorten it to 你妈 (nǐ mā). However, be careful as 你妈 can also be used in very rude or insulting contexts, similar to 'your mom' jokes or expletives in English. For a more formal or respectful address, especially when speaking to elders or in formal settings, you might use 您的妈妈 (nín de māma).
How to pronounce it
Sounds like 'nee MAH-mah.' The '你' (nǐ) is a third tone, but when followed by a first tone (like '妈'), it often shifts to a rising tone, so it's pronounced like 'ní māma.' The second '妈' is a neutral tone.
Other ways to say it
- 你妈nǐ māyour mom (casual, can be rude)
- 您的妈妈nín de mā mayour mom (polite/formal)
- 你母亲nǐ mǔ qīnyour mother (formal/literary)
Examples
你妈妈最近怎么样？
nǐ mā ma zuì jìn zěn me yàng ？
How has your mom been recently?
这是你妈妈给你做的饭吗？
zhè shì nǐ mā ma gěi nǐ zuò de fàn ma ？
Is this food your mom made for you?
你妈让你早点回家。
nǐ mā ràng nǐ zǎo diǎn huí jiā 。
Your mom wants you to come home early.
Pro tip: While 你妈妈 is always polite, the shortened form 你妈 can be very casual or even rude, especially if used with an aggressive tone or in certain phrases. Always consider the context and your relationship with the person.
Related phrases
和平 · Peace钱 · Money闭嘴 · Shut up
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