ama de casa
/ˌama de ˈkasa/feminine
The English phrase 'housewife' is translated into Spanish as ama de casa. Wiktionary also lists mujer de su casa and mujer de gobierno (disused).
Meaning: female head of household (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| ama de casa | /ˌama de ˈkasa/ | feminine |
| mujer de su casa | /muxeɾ de su kasa/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
| mujer de gobierno (disused) | feminine |
The term is used to refer to a female head of household.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, ama de casa means 'mistress of the house' or 'lady of the house'.
Which one should you use?
ama de casa is the standard term, whereas mujer de su casa is a more traditional or slightly more old-fashioned way to express the same idea. The term mujer de gobierno is considered disused.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make ama de casa plural, only the word 'ama' changes to amas, resulting in amas de casa.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌama de ˈkasa/
Did you know?
- The word ama in ama de casa has a surprising origin, as it originally referred to a 'wetnurse' in Old Spanish. This suggests the term evolved from someone who cared for children in a household to someone who manages the entire house.
- While ama de casa denotes the mistress of the home, the word ama is also used independently to refer to a female owner of a pet, such as ama del perro.
- Spanish has a masculine counterpart, amo de casa, though it is used far less frequently than the female version.
Examples in context
- Es un ama de casa desesperada.She's a desperate housewife.This sentence is useful for describing a housewife's emotional state using ama de casa.Tatoeba #7947380 by Seael, translation #1869524 by Spamster
- Ella es la ama de casa perfecta.She's the perfect housewife.This sentence is useful for describing a perfect housewife using ama de casa.Tatoeba #1684060 by marcelostockle, translation #1665875 by Spamster
- Una ama de casa tiene muchos deberes domésticos.A housewife has many domestic duties.This sentence is useful for mentioning domestic duties using ama de casa.Tatoeba #1787071 by marcelostockle, translation #265872 by CM
- Mi madre es una ama de casa dedicada y cariñosa.My mother is a dedicated and caring housewife.
- Laura es una dueña de casa excelente y se preocupa por todos los detalles.Laura is an excellent housewife who takes care of every detail.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are discussing their daily routines over coffee.
- MateoMi madre es una ama de casa dedicada.My mother is a dedicated housewife.
- Lucía¿Ella es ama de casa ahora?Is she a housewife now?
- MateoSí, ella no trabaja fuera.Yes, she does not work outside the home.
- LucíaEntiendo, es un trabajo muy duro.I understand, it is a very hard job.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “housewife” translations and entries ama de casa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ama, casa, de, gobierno, mujer, su, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
