Ways to say it
| Swedish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mamma | /²mamːa/ | common gender |
| mor | /muːr/ | common gender |
| moder | /²muːdɛr/ | common gender |
All forms of the word refer to a female who gives birth to or parents a child.
Which one should you use?
mamma is the most common, informal way to say 'mom' and is used by both children and adults when speaking about or to their mother. mor is a more formal or biological term for 'mother' and is less common in everyday casual conversation than mamma. moder is also a way to express the concept of a mother.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of mamma is mammor. For possessive forms, the genitive of mor is mors, while the genitive of mamma is mammans.
How do you pronounce it?
/²mamːa/
When do people say it?
Swedish kinship terms are often very specific. For example, Morbror translates to 'uncle' in Swedish, specifically the brother of one's mother. Similarly, different terms distinguish between sides of the family: Mormor refers to one's maternal grandmother, while Farmor refers to one's paternal grandmother.
Did you know?
- The word mamma may be onomatopoeic, meaning it mimics the natural sounds infants make when they first try to speak.
Examples in context
- Hur mår din mor?How's your mother?This sentence is useful for asking about the well-being of someone's mother using mor.Tatoeba #2048347 by herrsilen, translation #533746 by CK
- Är din mor hemma?Is your mother at home?This sentence is useful for checking if someone's mother is at home using mor.Tatoeba #892572 by Tximist, translation #63957 by CK
- Såg du min mamma?Did you see my mother?This sentence is useful for asking if someone saw a mother using mamma.Tatoeba #3601503 by loghaD, translation #3601128 by Jesse
- God dag! Är detta din mor?Hello! Is this your mother?
- Ja, det är min mor.Yes, she is my mother.
- Hej! Har du sett min mamma någonstans?Hi! Have you seen my mom anywhere?
- Min älskade mammaMy beloved mom
- Till min underbara mammaTo my wonderful mom
- Mamma är bästMom is the best
- 111 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a family visit.
- ErikSka du besöka din mamma idag?Are you going to visit your mother today?
- AliceJa, min mamma bor i Stockholm.Yes, my mother lives in Stockholm.
- ErikHälsa din mamma så gott!Give my best regards to your mother!
- AliceTack, det ska jag göra.Thanks, I will do that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mother” translations and entries mamma, mor, moder, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mamma, moder, mor, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
