tu madre
/tu ˈmadɾe/
In Spanish, tu madre means your mother.
While tu madre can literally mean 'your mother', when used as a standalone exclamation or insult, it is a vulgarity and not a literal inquiry about someone's parent.
Meaning: insult (intj)
Which one should you use?
tu madre can serve as a literal phrase or as an insult.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In parts of Mexico and Central America, it is customary to use tu mamita as an endearing way to refer to 'your mother'. In certain parts of Latin America, referring to 'your mother' as tu jefa is common. Additionally, in certain informal contexts, particularly in Latin America, friends may use the expression tu vieja to refer to 'your mother'.
How do you pronounce it?
/tu ˈmadɾe/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers should be careful not to use tu madre as a casual exclamation, as it is considered a highly offensive insult in many Spanish-speaking contexts.
Did you know?
- While tu madre is an insult, the expression está de poca madre in Mexico is actually high praise, meaning something is 'awesome' or 'great'.
- In Mexico, the phrase valer madre uses the word for 'mother' to describe something that is broken, worthless or has failed completely.
- The Spanish word madre shares the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root as the English word 'matron'.
Examples in context
- ¿Esa es tu madre?Is she your mother?This sentence is useful for identifying someone as your mother using tu madre.Tatoeba #1869243 by Shishir, translation #310268 by CK
- Tom, es tu madre.Tom, it's your mother.Tatoeba #4065572 by Asynja, translation #4065083 by Hybrid
- Llama a tu madre.Get your mother.This sentence is useful for giving an instruction to call your mother using tu madre.Tatoeba #6683716 by arh, translation #2245522 by CK
- ¡Señor García, su madre está esperándolo en la entrada!Mr. García, your mother is waiting for you at the entrance!
- ¿Hoy vienen de visita? Dile a tu vieja que me traiga esas empanadas riquísimas que prepara.Are you coming to visit today? Tell your mom to bring those delicious empanadas she makes.
- Saludos a tu mamita, siempre es un placer verla.Say hi to your mom, it's always a pleasure to see her.
- 120 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are arguing after a video game match.
- María¡No puedo creer que hayas perdido!I can't believe you lost!
- Alejandro¡Tu madre!Your mother!
- María¡Qué grosero eres, Alejandro!You are so rude, Alejandro!
- AlejandroEs solo una broma, María.It's just a joke, María.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tu madre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries madre, tu, tu madre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
