أمي وأبي
ummī wa-abī
In Arabic, the phrase for "mom and dad" is أمي وأبي (ummī wa-abī).
The phrase is used to refer to one's own mother and father.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of umm (mother) with the possessive suffix -ī (my), the conjunction wa (and) and ab (father) with the possessive suffix -ī (my).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
أمي وأبي is standard and polite. For a more casual or informal approach, you can use the phrase بابا وماما (Baba wa Mama). Additionally, the word بَابَا is an informal way to say "Dad".
How does it change in a sentence?
The possessive suffix -ī (ي) is attached to both nouns to indicate "my" for each individual parent.
How do you pronounce it?
ummī wa-abī
Did you know?
- If you are speaking to someone much older than you, calling them أمي or أبي can be a way to show extreme politeness, even if they are not your relatives.
- Arabic uses a 'dual' grammatical form that allows speakers to refer to 'two parents' specifically, rather than just a plural group.
- The word أُمّ (mother) is often used in Arabic to describe the 'mother' or origin of something, such as أُمّ القرى (mother of cities) to refer to Mecca.
Examples in context
- أمي وأبي يتشاجران ثانية.Mom and Dad are fighting again.This sentence shows how to use أمي وأبي to describe parents fighting.Tatoeba #11896443 by Safa_Alfulaij, translation #6634565 by Hybrid
- أمي وأبي في المنزل.ummi wa abi fil-manzil.My mom and dad are at home.
- أحب أمي وأبي كثيراً.uhibbu ummi wa abi kathiran.I love my mom and dad very much.
Example conversation
Youssef and Maryam are talking about their weekend plans.
- مريم Maryamهل ستذهب إلى السينما اليوم؟hal satadhhabu ila al-cinema al-yawm?Are you going to the cinema today?
- يوسف Youssefلا، سأبقى مع أمي وأبي.la, sa-abqa ma'a ummi wa abi.No, I will stay with my mom and dad.
- مريم Maryamهذا جميل يا يوسف.hadha jamil ya Youssef.That is nice, Youssef.
- يوسف Youssefشكراً لك يا مريم.shukran laki ya Maryam.Thank you, Maryam.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
