How to write 妈 (mā, “ma”)
妈 (mā), an HSK 1 character, means “ma”, “mom” and “mother”. The traditional form is 媽, 13 strokes instead of 6. It is part of the HSK word 妈妈 (“mama”), and of 后妈 (“stepmother”) and 奶妈 (“wet nurse”). Japanese keeps the traditional 媽, read bo (“mother”).
- Pinyin
- mā
- Strokes
- 6
- HSK
- 1
- Radical
- 女 (“female”)
- Traditional
- 媽
Stroke by stroke
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
As a left-right character it splits into 女 (“female”, the radical), strokes 1–3; 马 (“horse”), strokes 4–6, written the left part first.
- top leftdownwards → down and right
- leftdown and left
- leftrightwards
- toprightwards → downwards
- topdownwards → rightwards → downwards
- bottomrightwards
Traditional form
- Simplified
- 妈 · 6 strokes
- Traditional
- 媽 · 13 strokes · see its strokes
Trace it
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Pinyin and meaning
| Pinyin | Meanings | Traditional | In words |
|---|---|---|---|
| mā first tone | ma; mom; mother | 媽 | 妈妈 大妈 后妈 奶妈 |
- HSK 2025 syllabus
- level 1
- 2021 standard
- level 1
- HSK 2.0
- in a level 1 word
- Words with it
- 27 in CC-CEDICT
Words with 妈
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 妈妈 媽媽 | māma | mama; mommy HSK 1 |
| 大妈 大媽 | dàmā | father's elder brother's wife; aunt… HSK 5 |
| 后妈 後媽 | hòumā | stepmother |
| 奶妈 奶媽 | nǎimā | wet nurse |
| 小妈 小媽 | xiǎomā | father's concubine; stepmother |
| 爸妈 爸媽 | bàmā | dad and mom |
| 老妈 老媽 | lǎomā | mother; mom |
| 事儿妈 事兒媽 | shìrmā | fussbudget |
| 老大妈 老大媽 | lǎodàmā | "Madam" (affectionate term for an elderly woman) |
| 老妈子 老媽子 | lǎomāzi | older female servant; amah |
HSK words first (CC-CEDICT).
Practice sheet
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HSK 1, in list order: