आमा
āmā[ämä]
The Nepali word for mom is आमा (āmā).
आमा is used to refer to one's mother. Beyond biological relationships, it is also used as a respectful way to address any older woman in a social context.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
आमा is the standard and respectful way to address one's mother. For a more polite and formal way to refer to a mother, you can add the suffix -ji to the word, forming Aama-ji.
How do you pronounce it?
āmā
Did you know?
- The word आमा shares a common ancestor with the Sanskrit word अम्बा, making it a distant linguistic cousin to the English word 'mother' through the ancient Indo-European way of shaping sounds.
- The word 'mother' in Nepali is often used in poetic and religious contexts to describe the concept of 'Motherland', treating the country itself as a living female entity.
- In many South Asian cultures, including Nepal, the concept of 'mother' extends to a spiritual level where goddesses are frequently addressed using variations of this word.
Examples in context
- शुभ रात्रि, आमा।Good night, Mom.This sentence is useful for saying good night to आमा.Tatoeba #11846246 by taro, translation #64833 by shanghainese
- जन्मदिनको शुभकामना, आमा।Happy birthday, Mom.This sentence is useful for wishing आमा a happy birthday.Tatoeba #11864826 by taro, translation #2650905 by meerkat
- आमा, मलाई भोक लागेको छ।Aamā, malāī bhok lāgeko cha.Mom, I am hungry.
Example conversation
Anita and Roshan are talking at home about their mother.
- अनीता Anitaआमा कहाँ हुनुहुन्छ?Aamā kahã hunuhuncha?Where is mom?
- रोशन Roshanआमा भान्सामा हुनुहुन्छ।Aamā bhānsāmā hunuhuncha.Mom is in the kitchen.
- अनीता Anitaके आमाले खाना बनाउनुभएको छ?Ke aamāle khānā banāunubhāeko cha?Has mom cooked food?
- रोशन Roshanहो, आमाले मिठो खाना बनाउनुभएको छ।Ho, aamāle miṭho khānā banāunubhāeko cha.Yes, mom has cooked delicious food.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry आमा, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries आमा, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
