māte
[ˈmāːtɛ]feminine
The English word "mother" is translated into Latvian as māte.
māte refers to a female human who gives birth to or parents a child. You can express respect by using the phrase cienījamā māte, which means "respected" or "honorable" mother.
Meaning: female (human) who gives birth to or parents a child (noun)
Which one should you use?
While māte is the standard term, there are several informal alternatives. Use mamma to say "mom" or "mum", māmiņa for an endearing term and the diminutive mamīte to mean "mommy" or "mummy". The form mamiņa is another common, highly affectionate diminutive used by children or in close family settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
māte is the nominative singular form used for the subject of a sentence. To indicate possession, such as "mother's house", use the genitive singular form mātes.
Did you know?
- The Latvian māte is a cognate of the Sanskrit word mā́tṛ, showing a connection that spans from Northern Europe to Ancient India.
- In Latvian folk songs and traditional poetry, māte is often used to personify the land or nature, such as 'Mother Earth'.
- In the closely related Lithuanian language, a cognate of māte can be used to mean 'woman' or 'wife' rather than just 'mother'.
Examples in context
- Kur ir Toma māte?Where's Tom's mother?This sentence shows how to ask about the location of someone's māte.Tatoeba #13972934 by GemMonkey, translation #2240346 by CK
- Viņam zvana viņa māte.His mother is calling him.This sentence uses māte to describe a mother performing an action.Tatoeba #13858630 by GemMonkey, translation #5481146 by CarpeLanam
- Tā meitene līdzinās savai mātei.That girl resembles her mother.This sentence uses māte to describe a resemblance between a girl and her mother.Tatoeba #13986766 by GemMonkey, translation #46625 by CK
- Labdien, cienījamā māte.Good day, respected mother.
- Māmiņa, kas vakariņās šodien?Mommy, what's for dinner today?
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kristīne and Jānis are talking about a family photo.
- KristīneKā sauc tavu māti?What is your mother's name?
- JānisManu māti sauc Anna.My mother's name is Anna.
- KristīneViņa izskatās ļoti jauka.She looks very nice.
- JānisTiešām, viņa ir lieliska māte.Indeed, she is a great mother.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mother” translations and entries māte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries māte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
