Tu mamá.
Your mom.
Before the dance, a girl looks in the mirror and wonders who she takes after. Her friend answers tu mamá, where tu marks someone else's mom.
From Triunfos Robados 5: Luchar hasta el final · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "mom" in Spanish
mamá
nounfeminine: la mamáplural: las mamásstress on the end
"Mom" in Spanish is mamá, with the stress on the second syllable: mah-MAH. Mami is closer to mommy, and madre is the neutral word for mother. To talk about her, say mi mamá: Esta es mi mamá.
Hear "mamá" in real movie scenes
A quick comeback and a whispered phone call. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Hola, mamá.
Hi, Mom.
In the middle of an important negotiation, a man in a suit calls home in a whisper. One word, mamá, and even a serious adult sounds like a son again.
From Un Papá Genial · Spanish audio
Mamá, mami, madre and more
The mom words, from the warmest to the most formal.
| Spanish | English | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| mamá | mom | The everyday word, used by kids and grown-ups alike. |
| mami | mommy | Warm and a bit childlike. |
| la madre | mother | Neutral. In Spain adults often say mi madre when they talk about her. |
| la madrastra | stepmother | Your dad's wife, when she isn't your mom. |
| la suegra | mother-in-law | Your partner's mom. |
Tip: Mom and dad together are mis padres, my parents. The masculine plural covers both of them.
Grammar: mamá, mi mamá
Four points for talking about your mom.
Feminine because of who she is
la mamá, una mamá. Words that describe her end in -a: Mi mamá es muy simpática.Plural: add -s
las mamás. The accent mark stays, and the stress stays on the end: mah-MAHS.Whose mom
mi mamá my mom, tu mamá your mom, su mamá his or her mom. For a friend's mom, say la mamá de Lucía.The accent matters
Write mamá, not mama. Without the mark the stress moves to the front, and mama is a medical word for the breast.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Esta es mi mamá.
This is my mom.
Mi mamá es muy simpática.
My mom is very nice.
Hola, mamá.
Hi, Mom.
Sí, mamá.
Yes, Mom.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗mama
✓mamá
The written accent is what tells you to say mah-MAH. Leave it off and you've written another word.
✗Mi mamá es muy simpático
✓Mi mamá es muy simpática
Your mom is a woman, so any adjective about her takes the -a ending.
✗Esto es mi mamá
✓Esta es mi mamá
Esto points at an object. To introduce your mom, use the feminine esta.
Real conversation: who's that at the counter?
A short dialog in a café with a coworker.
You're in a café with your coworker Bruno. A young-looking woman at the counter waves at you.
¿Y quién es la chica?
And who's the girl?
¿La chica? ¡Es mi mamá!
The girl? That's my mom!
¿Tu mamá? ¡Es muy joven!
Your mom? She's so young!
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last line.
Continue the conversation in WordyPractice: 3 quick exercises
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What do you hear in the video?
The other 33 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Mamá looks just like the English mama. Only the stress moves: say it the way a child calls out across the house, mah-MAH!
Questions about "mom" in Spanish
How do you say mom in Spanish?
Mamá, stressed on the last syllable: mah-MAH. "My mom" is mi mamá.
What's the difference between mamá and madre?
Mamá is mom, the warm family word. Madre is mother, a little more neutral, and you'll see it on forms and in the news.
How do you say mommy in Spanish?
Mami. It's softer and more childlike than mamá, just like mommy next to mom.
How do you say Mother's Day in Spanish?
El Día de la Madre. The holiday uses madre, not mamá.
