अम्बा
ambā́/ɐm.bɑ́ː/
अम्बा (ambā́) is the Sanskrit word for mom.
अम्बा is used as an informal and affectionate way to refer to a female parent.
Which one should you use?
While अम्बा is an informal and colloquial term, माता is used as the more formal or standard term for mother.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form अम्बा is in the nominative singular case, which is used when 'mom' functions as the subject of a sentence.
How do you pronounce it?
ambā́ (IPA: /ɐm.bɑ́ː/)
Did you know?
- In the great epic Mahabharata, Ambā is the name of a princess who seeks revenge against the king who won her in a contest.
- In many ancient Sanskrit texts, the word अम्बा is not just for a human mother, but is used as a respectful title for goddesses to show deep affection.
- Words like अम्बा , 'mama' and 'mamma' sound alike because they are built from the first sounds a baby makes, not because they share one ancestor.
Examples in context
- अम्बा खादति।ambā khādati.Mom is eating.
- अम्बा अत्र अस्ति।ambā atra asti.Mom is here.
- अम्बा पुस्तकं पठति।ambā pustakaṃ paṭhati.Mom is reading a book.
Example conversation
A son and daughter are asking about their mother's location.
- आर्यन Aryanअम्बा कुत्र अस्ति?ambā kutra asti?Where is mom?
- काव्या Kavyaअम्बा तत्र अस्ति।ambā tatra asti.Mom is there.
- आर्यन Aryanसा किं करोति?sā kiṃ karoti?What is she doing?
- काव्या Kavyaसा श्वेत-वस्त्रं धारयति।sā śveta-vastraṃ dhārayati.She is wearing white clothes.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry अम्बा, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries अम्बा, CC BY-SA 4.0.
