Character breakdown
Study each Hanzi separately, then return to the complete word so pronunciation, meaning, and movement stay connected.
How to learn 妈妈
Listen once without reading, repeat the pinyin with its tones, then write every character in sequence. Finally, recall the complete meaning instead of memorizing each character as an isolated translation.
When the word appears in a sentence, check whether its part of speech and meaning match the definition shown here. Chinese words can change nuance with context.
Words with the same characters
Compare how a familiar Hanzi changes meaning inside another word.
father's elder brother's wife; aunt (affectionate term for an elderly woman)
妈的mā desee 他媽的|他妈的[ta1 ma1 de5]
小妈xiǎo māfather's concubine; (coll.) stepmother (esp. a young stepmother)
后妈hòu mā(coll.) stepmother
老妈lǎo māmother; mom
干妈gān māadoptive mother (traditional adoption, i.e. without legal ramifications)