A warm illustration of a mother with brown hair hugging her young child, both are smiling.

mamá

/ma-MA/

NounfA1

mom?Affectionate, common term

Also:mommy?Used by very young children,ma?Very informal

📝 In Action

Mi mamá me lee un cuento cada noche.

My mom reads me a story every night.

¡Mamá, mira lo que dibujé!

Mom, look what I drew!

Voy a llamar a mi mamá.

I'm going to call my mom.

Word Connections

Synonyms

madre (mother)

Antonyms

papá (dad)

Common Collocations

mamá gallina – mother hen (an overprotective mom)
hijo de mamá – mama's boy

💡 Grammar Points

The Important Accent Mark

The little line over the last 'a' (á) is crucial! It tells you to put the stress on that syllable: ma-MÁ. Without it, 'mama' means 'he/she breastfeeds'.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting the Accent

Mistake: "Escribo a mi mama."

Correction: Escribo a mi mamá. Without the accent, the word means something else entirely and the pronunciation is different (MA-ma).

⭐ Usage Tips

'Mamá' vs. 'Madre'

Use 'mamá' when you're talking to or about your own mom, just like 'mom' in English. 'Madre' is more like 'mother' – a bit more formal and used for official documents or when talking about motherhood in general.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: mamá

Question 1 of 1

What is the most important difference between 'mamá' and 'mama' (no accent)?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

madre(mother) - noun

maternal(maternal) - adjective

maternidad(maternity, motherhood) - noun

amamantar(to breastfeed) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use 'mamá' to talk about someone else's mom?

Yes, absolutely! You can say 'la mamá de mi amigo' (my friend's mom). It's the standard, friendly word to use.

Is it okay for an adult to call their mother 'mamá'?

Yes, it's very common for adults of all ages to call their mothers 'mamá'. It's a term of affection used throughout life.