大妈

dà mā

CL 位 wèi 个 gè

HSK 3.0 Level 5 Noun Uncommon

Definitions

1. father's elder brother's wife
2. aunt (affectionate term for an elderly woman)

Word relationships

Register variants

1 item

• 大娘 dà niáng 大娘 dà niáng aunt (polite address) same meaning in northern dialects: aunt (polite address)

Related words

1 item

• 阿姨 ā yí 阿姨 ā yí maternal aunt general term for auntie, not necessarily a relative: maternal aunt

Synonyms

1 item

• 伯母 bó mǔ 伯母 bó mǔ wife of father's elder brother father's elder brother's wife: wife of father's elder brother

Usage notes

Common mistakes

大妈 specifically refers to the wife of father's elder brother; do not use it for younger paternal uncle's wife, which is 婶婶.

Formality

As an affectionate term for an elderly woman, 大妈 is informal and friendly, but it can be perceived as disrespectful if used in formal contexts or with strangers who value titles.

Example Sentences

1 shown

这位 大妈 是我父亲的嫂子。

This aunt is my father's sister-in-law.

AI-generated examples are marked with this icon.

Words Containing 大妈

• 老大妈 老大妈 lǎo dà mā: \Madam\ (affectionate term for an elderly woman)

Child Words of 大妈

• 大 大 dà: big; large; great
• 大 大 dài: see 大夫[dài fu]
• 妈 妈 mā: ma