māmā
/maːˈmaː/
The Hawaiian word for mommy is māmā.
māmā is an affectionate term used by a child to address their mother or to refer to her.
How do you pronounce it?
/maːˈmaː/
Did you know?
- The root of māmā is related to the concept of 'ma-ʀaqan' in Proto-Malayo-Polynesian, showing how tiny sounds travel across vast oceans over millennia.
- While māmā is the affectionate term, the more formal word for mother in Hawaiian is makuahine.
- The word makuahine literally breaks down into makua meaning 'parent' and hine meaning 'female'.
Examples in context
- E māmā, e nānā mai iaʻu.Mommy, look at me.
- He aloha nui kēia i māmā.This is much love for mommy.
Example conversation
Ikaika is looking for his mother in the house.
- IkaikaMāmā, aia ʙoe?Mommy, are you there?
- Maliaʙae, e Ikaika. Aia au ma ke kuke.Yes, Ikaika. I am in the kitchen.
- IkaikaE kōkua mai, e māmā.Please help me, mommy.
- MaliaHe aha kāu e makai ana?What do you need?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry māmā, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries māmā, CC BY-SA 4.0.
