This is the 99th most frequent Afrikaans word.
ma
Mother.
Here, 'ma' is used to mean 'mom' or 'mother', referring to a parent.
My ma maak die beste pannekoeke.
My mom makes the best pancakes.
In this sentence, 'ma' means 'but', serving as a conjunction to contrast two clauses.
Hy wil kom, ma hy is te besig.
He wants to come, but he is too busy.
Similar to the second sentence, 'ma' functions as 'but', showing contrast between two ideas.