perdón, mamá
/peɾˈdon maˈma/word by word
The English phrase "sorry mom" is translated into Spanish as perdón, mamá.
This phrase is used to offer an apology to one's mother. While perdón, mamá is a quick apology for a mistake, lo siento, mamá expresses deeper regret or sympathy.
What does it mean word for word?
The word perdón literally means "forgiveness" or "pardon", and mamá means "mom".
How does it change in a sentence?
The word mamá requires an accent on the final "a" to indicate the stress. Without it, the word is pronounced differently.
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾˈdon maˈma/
Did you know?
- If you forget the accent mark on mamá and write mama, you are no longer talking to a mother. In Spanish, mama is a form of the verb 'mamar', which means 'to suck' or 'to nurse'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, apologizing to a mother with perdón might be accompanied by a physical gesture, such as a kiss on the hand or a hug, to show genuine respect and affection.
- The word mamá is an adaptation of the French word maman. This shows how much influence French had on Spanish-speaking family terms during certain historical periods.
Examples in context
- Mamá, lamento mucho haber herido tus sentimientos con mis palabras. No era mi intención lastimarte de ninguna manera.Mom, I am very sorry for having hurt your feelings with my words. It was not my intention to hurt you in any way.
- Perdón, mamá, olvidé lavar los platos.Sorry, mom, I forgot to wash the dishes.
- Perdón, mamá, no escuché tu llamada.Sorry, mom, I didn't hear your call.
- ¡Perdón, mamá! No fue mi intención.Sorry, mom! It wasn't my intention.
Example conversation
Daniel accidentally forgot to take out the trash.
- LucíaDaniel, no sacaste la basura.Daniel, you didn't take out the trash.
- DanielPerdón, mamá, se me olvidó.Sorry, mom, I forgot.
- LucíaPor favor, hazlo ahora mismo.Please, do it right now.
- DanielSí, voy enseguida.Yes, I'm going right now.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (perdón, mamá) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mamá, perdón, CC BY-SA 4.0.
