What does it mean when someone says まあ a couple of times?

Question

I was watching something and he was like mamamamama (ne?)

Answer 1

Strongly dependent on context. But as usual dictionaries are your friend.

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).

Answer 2

まあまあまあまあ

＝Please calm down. Don't be so emotional, please.