character meanings - I don't get it

[OFK2013]

Hello, I'm new here, and also new in learning mandarin so I got stupid question (forgive my english). When I search for new words I see that for some word there is in mandarin a few characters, for example:

when I type word 'Mother' mdbg word dictionary finds:

1. 妈妈 (mā​ma)

2. 母 (mǔ)

3. just 妈 (mā)

4. 娘 (niáng)

5. 母亲 (mǔ​qīn)

how can I know which one is correct?

[skylee]

All are ok, but different word is used depending on the context. This is the same as in English, sometimes you use father, sometimes dad, sometimes daddy, old man, etc.

You might want to take a look at the Same thing, different names thread.

[OFK2013]

thanks for your clear answer, but I will definitely not memorize all this words...

[tooironic]

You should also note that a dictionary like MDBG is based on a Chinese-English dictionary, not an English-Chinese dictionary, so searching for translations in English will often turn up lots of different entries that just happen to have the key word in the entry definition.

A good English-Chinese dictionary will give you the most common translation first (or to the exclusion of all others). It should also differentiate any additional senses. Unfortunately I know of none of these that exist online and that can be accessed for free.

[Lu]

Learning a language from a dictionary is not the best or easiest way to learn, imo. It's better to get a textbook and preferably also a teacher. Instead of memorizing five different words for mother (all of which you need to know eventually, by the way, because they are all in active use), you can learn them one by one and in context. That will work better. Looking up words English to Chinese in my experience only works if you can recognize the right word among the options, and can also recognize it if the word you're looking for is not there.

[lingo-ling]

The following are general tendencies, and are not to be taken as written in stone. YMMV.

妈妈 (mā​ma) is the general colloquial word for mother. It can mean "mom" or "mother", appropriate in written work (unless it's very formal).

母亲 (mǔ​qīn) is the formal term, like English "mother".

母 (mǔ) is often abstract, as in "The mother of all battles" or "Repetition is the mother of learning." It also refers to female animals.

妈 (mā) is informal, like "Mom" or "Ma".

娘 (niáng) has a kind of a hickish feel to it, like "Maw".

[heifeng]

quote from above {: 娘 (niáng) has a kind of a hickish feel to it, like "Maw".}

To expand a bit on the above: Or, if you are watching a classical tv series, characters will often use niáng for mother. However, it also may be used dialect as well...I happen to hear it quite a bit.。Also you might hear it used in combo such as 爹娘.. Often you will see the character in this word 姑娘 (and others) which ties into the young lady/women defnition on the MDBG link you provided.

I would say that as you read & listen more you will get a better feel for when you encounter these words & usages. Even if you read the online dictionary now, when you encounter it in real life or while reading you may have a bit of an understanding of what it means....you should probably know in advance that Chinese is very vocabulary heavy. There will be very precise & multiple ways to describe things & for actions...just a head's up!