ኣደ
ʾadä
The word for "mom" in Tigrinya is ኣደ (ʾadä).
ኣደ is an informal way to refer to a female parent.
How do you pronounce it?
ʾadä
Did you know?
- In moments of extreme grief or distress, Tigrinya speakers may shout ኣደ as an exclamation, even if their mother is not present.
- The word ኣደ is often used in Tigrinya poetry and religious services to metaphorically represent the 'motherland' or a source of spiritual life.
- The word ኣደ is a direct descendant of the term used in Ge'ez, the ancient liturgical language of Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Examples in context
- ኣደ ዛሬ ክትመጽእ እያ።ade zare kitmetsi eya.Mom is coming today.
Example conversation
Two siblings are talking at home about their parent.
- መዓር Me'arዳዊት፡ ኣደ ኣበይ ኣላ?Dawit: Ade abey ala?Dawit, where is mom?
- ዳዊት Dawitመዓር፡ ኣደ ኣብ መእዘብ ትርክብ።Mear: Ade ab meezeb tirikib.Mear, mom is in the kitchen.
- መዓር Me'arንኣደ ርክብ ክገብረልና ትኽእልዶ?Nade rikib kigebrenla tikieldo?Can she help us, mom?
- ዳዊት Dawitእወ፡ ሐዚ ትመጽእ።Ewe: hazi timetsi.Yes, she is coming now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ኣደ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
