姥姥 (lǎo lǎo) is a warm, colloquial term used in northern and central China to refer specifically to one’s maternal grandmother—the mother of one’s mother. Though the character 姥 appears twice, it is not a reduplicated word in the grammatical sense; rather, this repetition forms a fixed kinship term with its own pronunciation and meaning. The character 姥 on its own means 'old woman' or 'maternal grandmother' in formal or literary contexts, but in daily speech, 姥姥 is almost always used as a standalone noun—not as an adjective or verb.

This term conveys intimacy and affection, commonly used by children and adults alike when speaking directly to or about their maternal grandmother. It contrasts with 婆婆 (pó po), which refers to the paternal grandmother. Regional variation exists: some southern dialects use different terms like 阿嫲 (ā mā), but 姥姥 remains widely understood across Mandarin-speaking areas, especially in media and family conversations.