ماما
māmā/maː.maː/
The Arabic word for mom is ماما (māmā), an affectionate word children and adults use for their mother.
ماما is used both to talk to your mother directly and to talk about her, as in we love Mom.
Which one should you use?
To refer to your mother in a more formal, descriptive way, say أُمِّي, my mother.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ماما is informal and affectionate. It is used across most Arabic dialects.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Morocco, Mama is often used to address one's mother.
How do you pronounce it?
It is said /maː.maː/ in two syllables, both with a long a as in father.
Did you know?
- In many Arabic-speaking households, calling a maternal aunt or even an older female relative ماما is a common way to show respect and closeness.
- While ماما is used for affection, using the more formal أُمِّي (ummī) in a casual setting can sometimes sound overly dramatic or even poetic, as if you are speaking in a classical novel.
- While ماما is universal, some older generations or specific regions might use ست ('lady') or والدة ('progenitor') to show a higher level of prestige and respect.
Examples in context
- نحن نحب ماما.We love Mom.نحن نحب ماما means we love Mom.Tatoeba #10259795 by Amghar, translation #8321663 by Amastan
- تُحَضِّرُ مَامَا أَفْضَلَ كَعْكَةٍ بِٱلشُّوكُولَاتَةِ.Mom prepares the best chocolate cake.Here the word is written with full vowel marks as مَامَا.
Example conversation
Two children are talking in the living room.
- نور Nourهل عادت ماما من السوق؟Hal ‘ādat mama min as-sūq?Has mom come back from the market?
- عمر Omarنعم، لقد وصلت للتو.Na‘am, laqad waṣalat lil-taw.Yes, she just arrived.
- نور Nourسأذهب لألقي التحية على ماما.Sa-adhhab li-ulqiya at-tahiyya ‘alā mama.I will go say hello to mom.
- عمر Omarأنا سآتي معك يا نور.Anā sa-ātī ma‘aki yā Noor.I will come with you, Noor.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ماما, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
