mia madre
The English phrase "my mother" is translated into Italian as mia madre.
mia madre is used to refer to the female parent of the speaker.
Which one should you use?
mia madre is the standard way to refer to one's mother, while mamma is a more affectionate and informal term used when addressing her or speaking of her more intimately.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In parts of central Italy, particularly around Rome, people may refer to their mothers as Mà.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of mia madre is le mie madri.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly include the definite article before the phrase, such as la mia madre. In Italian, the article is omitted for singular unmodified family members.
Did you know?
- Italian has a specific term, mammismo, to describe the strong cultural bond and psychological dependence between an adult son and mia madre.
- In many Italian families, using the formal mia madre instead of the affectionate mamma can signal a moment of tension or a desire to create emotional distance.
- The word madre is also used in Italian to describe the 'mother' or primary source of a substance, such as madre dell'aceto for a vinegar starter.
Examples in context
- Mia madre è qui.My mother is here.This sentence is useful for saying that mia madre is present.Tatoeba #13273445 by Guybrush88, translation #13208600 by EugeneGS
- Mary è mia madre.Mary is my mother.This sentence is useful for identifying someone as mia madre.Tatoeba #3321091 by Guybrush88, translation #2280385 by CK
- Mia madre è bella.My mother is beautiful.This sentence is useful for describing how mia madre looks.Tatoeba #373658 by Pharamp, translation #250277 by CK
- Vado al cinema con mia mamma stasera.I'm going to the movies with my mom tonight.
- Vado a trovare la mà nel fine settimana.I'm going to visit my mom this weekend.
- 585 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Giulia and Francesco are talking about a family dinner.
- GiuliaMia madre cucina stasera.My mother is cooking tonight.
- FrancescoCosa prepara di buono?What good thing is she preparing?
- GiuliaMia madre fa le lasagne.My mother is making lasagna.
- FrancescoChe fortuna che hai!How lucky you are!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
