¿esa es tu mamá?
The phrase 'is that your mom?' in Spanish is translated as ¿esa es tu mamá?
This phrase is used to ask if a specific woman is the mother of the person being spoken to.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase esa es tu mamá literally translates to 'that is your mom'.
Which one should you use?
While ¿esa es tu mamá? is a common way to ask the question, you can also use ¿Es esa tu mamá? Additionally, replacing mamá with madre changes the tone to be more formal or serious.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In many Latin American countries, it is common to use the word order ¿Esa es tu mamá? In Spain, the form ¿Es esa tu madre? is frequently used.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word esa is the feminine form of 'that' and is used here because mamá is a feminine noun. To switch from the informal 'your' to the formal/polite 'your', replace tu with su.
Did you know?
- The word mamá is a relatively modern addition to the Spanish language, having been adapted from the French word maman.
- While mamá is the standard word for 'mom', using the word madre can sometimes signal a distance or a lack of emotional warmth in certain social contexts.
- If you were to ask ¿Es esa su madre? instead of using tu, you are not just being polite, but you might be signaling a significant social distance or lack of intimacy.
Examples in context
- ¿Disculpe, es esa su mamá? Soy compañero(a) de clase de su hijo.Excuse me, is that your mom? I am your son's classmate.
- Señor, ¿puedo preguntarle si esa señora es su mamá?Sir, may I ask if that lady is your mom?
- Veo a una señora, ¿esa es tu mamá?I see a lady, is that your mom?
- La mujer de la foto, ¿esa es tu mamá?The woman in the photo, is that your mom?
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are at a crowded park.
- JavierSofía, ¿esa es tu mamá?Sofía, is that your mom?
- SofíaSí, es ella.Yes, it is her.
- JavierSe ve muy amable.She looks very kind.
- SofíaMuchas gracias, Javier.Thank you very much, Javier.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries es, esa, mamá, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
