ماں
mā̃feminine
The English word mother is translated into Urdu, with the default form being ماں (mā̃). Wiktionary also lists ماتا (mātā) and مادَر (mādar).
Meaning: female (human) who gives birth to or parents a child (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ماں | mā̃ | feminine | |
| ماتا | mātā | /mɑː.t̪ɑː/ (Standard, Urdu) | feminine |
| مادَر | mādar | feminine | |
| والِدَہ | vālida | feminine |
The word refers to a female human who gives birth to or parents a child.
Which one should you use?
The form والِدَہ is a formal and more respectful way to say mother than the common ماں. The form ماتا is also a feminine noun for mother. The form مادَر is an alternative used in specific contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ماں is an informal term for mother in Urdu. In contrast, والِدَہ is a formal and more respectful way to say mother.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In regions influenced by Persian vocabulary, مادَر might be used to mean mother.
How does it change in a sentence?
All provided forms are feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
mā̃
Did you know?
- Urdu uses different words for mother depending on the source language, with والِدَہ being Arabic, مادَر being Persian, and ماں being derived from Prakrit.
- The common word ماں shares a distant linguistic ancestor with the English word 'mother', both tracing back to the same Proto-Indo-European root.
- The term والِدَہ is the feminine version of والِد, which means father, creating a symmetrical pair for parents in formal Urdu.
Examples in context
- تمہاری ماں بس راستے میں ہو گی۔Your mother will be back before long.This sentence is useful for seeing the use of ماں in a sentence about timing.Tatoeba #2493100 by nabeel_tahir, translation #70946 by CK
- وہ اپنی بوڑھی ماں کا خیال رکھتی ہے۔She takes care of her old mother.This sentence shows how to use ماں when discussing caretaking.Tatoeba #2116719 by nabeel_tahir, translation #316132 by sundown
- مریم نے کھانے پکانے میں اپنی ماں کی مدد کی۔Mary helped her mother with the cooking.This sentence demonstrates the use of ماں in the context of helping with tasks.Tatoeba #4286654 by nabeel_tahir, translation #477323 by CK
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ali and Aisha are talking on the phone about a family visit.
- عائشہ Ayeshaعلی، کیا آپ کی ماں نے کھانا کھا لیا؟Ali, kya aap ki maa ne khana kha liya?Ali, has your mother eaten her food?
- علی Aliجی عائشہ، میری ماں کھانا کھا چکی ہیں۔Ji Aisha, meri maa khana kha chuki hain.Yes Aisha, my mother has already eaten.
- عائشہ Ayeshaبہت اچھا، انہیں میرا سلام دینا۔Bohat acha, unhein mera salam dena.Very good, give her my regards.
- علی Aliٹھیک ہے، میں ضرور دوں گا۔Theek hai, mein zaroor doon ga.Okay, I will definitely do that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mother” translations and entries ماں, ماتا, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ماتا, ماں, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
