أم
ʔom/ʔumm/Egyptian Arabic, feminine
The Arabic word for mother is أم (ʔom) (ʔumm). If unsure, use أم. Wiktionary also lists أُمّ (ʔumm) and وَالِدَة (wālida).
Meaning: female (human) who gives birth to or parents a child (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| أم | ʔom | /ʔumm/ /ʔam.ma/ |
Egyptian Arabic, feminine |
| أُمّ | ʔumm | feminine | |
| وَالِدَة | wālida | feminine | |
| مَامَا | māmā | childish, familiar, feminine | |
| والدة | walda | /waː.li.da/ | Egyptian Arabic, feminine |
| إم | ʔimm | North Levantine Arabic, feminine |
أُمّ is the standard word for mother in Modern Standard Arabic and is used in formal contexts.
Which one should you use?
وَالِدَة (wālida) is more formal and literary and emphasizes the woman who gave birth. مَامَا (māmā) is used by children or in intimate settings, much like mommy or mama in English.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
أُمّ and وَالِدَة suit formal contexts, while مَامَا is informal and affectionate.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In daily speech you will hear إم (ʔimm) in the North Levant, and in Egypt the word is said ʔom. Egyptians also say والدة (walda). In the Levant mama is a common informal word for mother.
How does it change in a sentence?
Add the ending ī to get أُمِّي, my mother.
How do you pronounce it?
In Modern Standard Arabic it is /ʔumm/, a short u after a catch in the throat, with a doubled m. Egyptians say ʔom.
Did you know?
- In many Arabic cultures, a woman is respectfully addressed by a 'kunya', such as أُم followed by the name of her eldest child.
- In Arabic, the root of the word أُمّ is used to describe the 'mother' or source of things, such as أم القرى ('Mother of all Cities') which refers to Mecca.
- The word أُمّ is inherited from the Proto-Semitic root *ʔimm-, making it a cognate with the Hebrew word אם.
Examples in context
- أنا آسف يا أمي.I'm sorry Mother.يا أمي is how you address your own mother, here in an apology.Tatoeba #3664573 by Alaakhalid, translation #1513356 by Spamster
- لم يزر ياني أمه.Yanni didn't visit his mother.أمه means his mother.Tatoeba #11999041 by dididodo, translation #9833701 by Amastan
- عمتي أكبر من أمي.My aunt is older than my mother.أمي means my mother.Tatoeba #377012 by saeb, translation #251194 by blay_paul
- 137 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ziad is asking Sarah about her family.
- زياد Ziadفين أمك يا سارة؟Feen ummik ya Sara?Where is your mother, Sarah?
- سارة Saraأمي في الشغل دلوقتي.Ummi fil shughl delwa'ti.My mother is at work now.
- زياد Ziadهي لسة في المكتب؟Heyya lesa fil maktab?Is she still in the office?
- سارة Saraأيوه، هترجع البيت بالليل.Aywa, hatirga' el beit bel lel.Yes, she will come home at night.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mother” translations and entries أم, والدة, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries أم, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
