ママとパパ
mama to papa
In Japanese, "mama and papa" is said as ママとパパ (mama to papa).
This phrase is used to refer to one's mother and father. It is a very informal way of speaking, primarily used by young children or by adults when they are adopting a child-like tone.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase consists of ママ (mama), the particle と (to) which means "and" when connecting two nouns and パパ (papa).
Which one should you use?
ママとパパ is very informal and child-like. In contrast, the standard and polite way for both children and adults to refer to their parents is お母さんとお父さん (okaasan to otousan).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The terms ママ and パパ are informal and are written in katakana. When you need to be more formal or polite, there are different terms depending on the context: use haha to refer to your own mother formally or chichi to refer to your own father formally. If you are addressing someone else's mother or father politely, you should use okāsan and otōsan respectively.
How do you pronounce it?
mama to papa
Did you know?
- In some Japanese households, ママ is used as a slang term for a female owner of a small bar or snack pub, regardless of whether she is a mother.
- In some very specific subcultures or high-end service industries in Japan, staff might refer to customers as 'mama' or 'papa' to create an artificial sense of intimacy, similar to a 'hostess' or 'host' club environment.
- Using ママ or パパ as an adult in a professional setting can be perceived as amae, a uniquely Japanese concept of seeking indulgent dependence on another person.
Examples in context
- ママ、何を作ってくれるの？Mama, what are you going to make?
- お父さん、お疲れ様！Papa, welcome home/take care!
- ママとパパが大好き。Mama to Papa ga daisuki.I love mama and papa.
- ママとパパはどこ？Mama to Papa wa doko?Where are mama and papa?
- ママとパパの写真を見せて。Mama to Papa no shashin o misete.Show me the photo of mama and papa.
Example conversation
Two children are talking about their weekend plans.
- 健太 Kenta明日は何をするの？Ashita wa nani o suru no?What are you doing tomorrow?
- 結衣 Yuiママとパパと公園に行くよ。Mama to papa to kōen ni iku yo.I'm going to the park with mama and papa.
- 健太 Kentaいいな、楽しそうだね！Ii na, tanoshisō da ne!Lucky you, that sounds like fun!
- 結衣 Yuiうん、すごく楽しみなんだ。Un, sugoku tanoshimi nanda.Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it.
