mãe
/ˈmɐ̃j̃/feminine
The Portuguese word for mother is mãe.
mãe is a feminine noun used to refer to a female who gives birth to or parents a child.
Meaning: female (human) who gives birth to or parents a child (noun)
Which one should you use?
While mãe is the standard term for mother, use madrasta if you specifically mean stepmother.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In northeastern Brazil, Mainha is a colloquial and affectionate way to address one's mother.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural, the form of mãe is mães.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmɐ̃j̃/
Did you know?
- In Brazil, the term mãe is often used in the expression mãe de santo, which refers to a high priestess in Candomblé.
- The word mãe is the nasalized version of the earlier word mae, which evolved from child-speech forms of the Latin madre.
- In Portuguese, the word mãe can be used to describe the primary or main part of something, such as a placa-mãe for a computer motherboard.
Examples in context
- Ela é sua mãe?Is she your mother?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is your mãe.Tatoeba #978512 by alexmarcelo, translation #310268 by CK
- Essa é sua mãe?Is that your mother?This sentence is useful for asking if that person is your mãe.Tatoeba #1869591 by alexmarcelo, translation #1869241 by CM
- Mary é uma mãe.Mary is a mother.This sentence is useful for stating that someone is a mãe.Tatoeba #2624690 by marcospcruz, translation #2280381 by CK
- Preciso falar com a minha mãe agora.I need to talk to my mother right now.
- Sua mãe é uma pessoa maravilhosa.Your mother is a wonderful person.
- Mamãe, eu te amo!Mom, I love you!
- A gente vai almoçar com a mamãe hoje.We're having lunch with Mom today.
- Posso te contar um segredo, mãezinha?Can I tell you a secret, Mom?
- Estou aqui, mãezinha.I'm here, Mom.
- Mainha, você poderia me emprestar seu carro hoje?Mom, could you lend me your car today?
- Falei com a mainha, ela disse que tá tudo bem.I talked to Mom, she said it's okay.
- 1067 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Rodrigo and Beatriz are talking at a café about family.
- RodrigoA sua mãe está bem?Is your mother doing well?
- BeatrizSim, a minha mãe está ótima.Yes, my mother is great.
- RodrigoQue bom que a sua mãe está bem.It is good that your mother is well.
- BeatrizObrigada, Rodrigo.Thank you, Rodrigo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mother” translations and entries mãe, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mãe, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
