Buona festa della mamma!
The English phrase "happy mother's day" is translated into Italian as Buona festa della mamma!
Buona festa della mamma! is a common way to say Happy Mother's Day in Italian.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "Good feast of the mother!" Here, festa refers to a holiday or celebration.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Neapolitan dialect, people say Bonna festa 'e màmm!
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective buona (good) must be feminine to agree with the feminine noun festa (holiday/feast). The phrase della mamma (of the mother) uses the articulated preposition della, which is a combination of di and la.
Did you know?
- In Italy, Mother's Day is not just a greeting but is traditionally celebrated by giving mimose, which are yellow mimosa flowers.
- The term mamma is a direct inheritance from the Latin word mamma, which originally referred to the breast.
- While the phrase uses mamma, Italian children often use the diminutive mammina to express extra affection when wishing her a happy day.
Examples in context
- Buona festa della mamma!Happy Mother's Day!This sentence is useful for seeing how to say Happy Mother's Day!Tatoeba #2036744 by Balamax, translation #706874 by papabear
- Cara mamma, buona festa della mamma!Dear mom, happy Mother's Day!
Example conversation
Francesco is calling Giulia to wish her a happy Mother's Day.
- FrancescoCiao Giulia, buona festa della mamma!Hi Giulia, happy Mother's Day!
- GiuliaGrazie mille, Francesco! Sei molto gentile.Thanks a lot, Francesco! You are very kind.
- FrancescoTi auguro una bellissima giornata.I wish you a beautiful day.
- GiuliaGrazie, anche a te!Thanks, to you too!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries della, festa, mamma, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
