I was watching something and he was like mamamamama (ne?)
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-17T17:04:16.473
54578
2017-11-19T14:49:29.230
26521
question
translation
What does it mean when someone says まあ a couple of times?
Strongly dependent on context. But as usual [dictionaries are your
friend.](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/jn/206655/meaning/m0u/)

  1. First explained case is

> 十分ではないが、一応は満足できるさま。「―な出来」
>
> Explanation: It's not perfect, but enough to be satisfied
>
> Example sentence 「まあまあな出来」: It's an acceptable feat/accomplishment.

  2. explained case is

> とりあえずある事をするようにすすめるさま。まず。とにかく。「あいさつはあとにして、―お上がりください」
>
> Explanation: Whatever the case, continue a certain thing first, before doing
> another. I guess 'anyway' is somewhat close.
>
> Example sentence 「あいさつはあとにして、まあまあお上がりください」: Don't mind the greeting for now,
> please come in first (lit. come up, which you use to say come in, since you
> usually climb the small staircase from the space where you take off your
> shoes).

  3. explained case is

> 驚きや意外な気持ちを表す語。あらあら。おやおや。「―、よくいらっしゃいました」「―、こんなことをして」
>
> Explanation: Phrase that expresses the feeling of surprise or (lit.) that
> you didn't expect a certain thing.
>
> Example sentence 「まあ、こんなことして。」： Oh dear, doing these kind of things (Implied
> that the person spoken to did something the speaker did not expect).

  4. explained case is

> 相手を抑えなだめるときに用いる語。「―そう言うなよ」
>
> Explanation: Phrase used to calm or suppress the anger of the conversational
> counterpart (i.e. person the speaker speaks to).
>
> Example sentence 「まあまあそう言うな」: Now, now don't say such things.

Without any context it's hard to judge which case is yours since you can take
any arbitrary number of まあs as is often done in colloquial speech. You should
be able to understand from the explanations though which one was yours though.

Just my own opinion but in general the last one is the most common one. Where
somebody is getting angry over something (or someone) and you try to calm him
by saying まあまあまあまあ.

Note also that there is the case of まあね with usually only one まあ which is an
相槌{あいづち} (i.e. [back-channeling
expression](https://www.livinglanguage.com/community/discussion/127/back-
channeling-in-japanese/p1)).
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-17T18:23:33.343
54579
2017-11-19T14:49:29.230
2017-11-19T14:49:29.230
9831
26242
54578
answer
まあまあまあまあ

＝Please calm down. Don't be so emotional, please.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-18T05:26:21.177
54586
2017-11-18T05:26:21.177
54578
answer