Mom in Different Languages
Discover 'Mom' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Mom
Afrikaans ma | ||
Albanian mami | ||
Amharic እማማ | ||
Arabic أمي | ||
Armenian մայրիկ | ||
Assamese মা | ||
Aymara tayka | ||
Azerbaijani ana | ||
Bambara ba | ||
Basque ama | ||
Belarusian мама | ||
Bengali মা | ||
Bhojpuri माई | ||
Bosnian mama | ||
Bulgarian мамо | ||
Catalan mare | ||
Cebuano mama | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 妈妈 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 媽媽 | ||
Corsican mamma | ||
Croatian mama | ||
Czech maminka | ||
Danish mor | ||
Dhivehi މަންމަ | ||
Dogri मां | ||
Dutch mam | ||
English mom | ||
Esperanto panjo | ||
Estonian ema | ||
Ewe dada | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) nanay | ||
Finnish äiti | ||
French maman | ||
Frisian mem | ||
Galician mamá | ||
Georgian დედა | ||
German mama | ||
Greek μαμά | ||
Guarani sy | ||
Gujarati મમ્મી | ||
Haitian Creole manman | ||
Hausa inna | ||
Hawaiian makuahine | ||
Hebrew אִמָא | ||
Hindi माँ | ||
Hmong niam | ||
Hungarian anya | ||
Icelandic mamma | ||
Igbo nne | ||
Ilocano inang | ||
Indonesian ibu | ||
Irish mam | ||
Italian mamma | ||
Japanese ママ | ||
Javanese ibu | ||
Kannada ತಾಯಿ | ||
Kazakh анам | ||
Khmer ម៉ាក់ | ||
Kinyarwanda mama | ||
Konkani आई | ||
Korean 엄마 | ||
Krio mama | ||
Kurdish dayê | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) دایک | ||
Kyrgyz апа | ||
Lao ແມ່ | ||
Latin mater | ||
Latvian mamma | ||
Lingala mama | ||
Lithuanian mama | ||
Luganda maama | ||
Luxembourgish mamm | ||
Macedonian мајка | ||
Maithili मां | ||
Malagasy neny | ||
Malay ibu | ||
Malayalam അമ്മ | ||
Maltese omm | ||
Maori mama | ||
Marathi आई | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯃꯃꯥ | ||
Mizo nu | ||
Mongolian ээж | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) အမေ | ||
Nepali आमा | ||
Norwegian mamma | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) mayi | ||
Odia (Oriya) ମା | ||
Oromo ayyoo | ||
Pashto مور | ||
Persian مامان | ||
Polish mama | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) mamãe | ||
Punjabi ਮੰਮੀ | ||
Quechua mama | ||
Romanian mama | ||
Russian мама | ||
Samoan tina | ||
Sanskrit माता | ||
Scots Gaelic mama | ||
Sepedi mma | ||
Serbian мама | ||
Sesotho mme | ||
Shona amai | ||
Sindhi ماءُ | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) අම්මා | ||
Slovak mama | ||
Slovenian mama | ||
Somali hooyo | ||
Spanish mamá | ||
Sundanese indung | ||
Swahili mama | ||
Swedish mamma | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) nanay | ||
Tajik модар | ||
Tamil அம்மா | ||
Tatar әни | ||
Telugu అమ్మ | ||
Thai แม่ | ||
Tigrinya ኣደይ | ||
Tsonga manana | ||
Turkish anne | ||
Turkmen eje | ||
Twi (Akan) maame | ||
Ukrainian мама | ||
Urdu ماں | ||
Uyghur ئانا | ||
Uzbek onam | ||
Vietnamese mẹ | ||
Welsh mam | ||
Xhosa umama | ||
Yiddish מאָם | ||
Yoruba mama | ||
Zulu umama |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | In Afrikaans, the word 'ma' can also be used as a term of endearment for an older woman or a female elder. |
| Albanian | Although it originates from the Italian word for "mommy", "mami" has become the standard way to address one's mother in Albanian. |
| Amharic | Also used as a term of endearment for a woman or a child |
| Arabic | In the Quran, "أمي" referred to the followers of the Prophet Mohammed instead of meaning "mother". |
| Armenian | The Armenian word "մայրիկ" not only means "mom", but also serves as the diminutive form of several feminine given names such as Mary, Mariam, and Maral. |
| Azerbaijani | In Azerbaijani, the word "ana" can also be used as a term of endearment for a sister, a female friend, or a beloved woman. |
| Basque | Basque 'ama' means 'mom', but also 'wet nurse' or 'godmother' and derives from Latin 'mamma'. |
| Belarusian | The word "мама" also refers to a woman who is not a mother, but who is treated with the same respect and affection as a mother. |
| Bengali | The word "মা" in Bengali can also mean "goddess" or "earth". |
| Bosnian | In Bosnian, "mama" is also used as the affectionate term for a grandmother. |
| Bulgarian | In Bulgarian, "мамо" can also be used as a term of endearment for an older woman or a close friend. |
| Catalan | The Catalan word "mare" originates from the Latin word "mater" and also means "sea". |
| Cebuano | In Cebuano, "mama" also means "to love" or "to care for". |
| Chinese (Simplified) | The word "妈妈" in Chinese derives from the sound of an infant's cry to its mother. |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 媽媽 (妈妈) is also used as a term of endearment for a female friend or relative. |
| Corsican | In Corsican, the word "mamma" can also refer to the paternal grandmother. |
| Croatian | The word "mama" is also used in Croatian to refer to a wet nurse. |
| Czech | In traditional Czech households, a "maminka" is the mistress of the house and also a farmer's wife. |
| Danish | The Danish word "mor" is related to the English word "mother" and the German word "Mutter." |
| Dutch | The Dutch word "mam" is a variation of "maam," derived from "mama," an affectionate term for mother |
| Estonian | The word "ema" is also used to refer to a godmother or another person who is regarded as a motherly figure. |
| Finnish | "Äiti" also means "stepmother" and comes from the word "ätti" which means "nourisher". |
| French | Derived from the Latin word "mamma" meaning "breast," "maman" may also be used affectionately for any female figure. |
| Frisian | In some varieties of Frisian, the word "mem" is also used to address an elderly woman as a term of respect. |
| Galician | Galician "mamá" originally meant "breast" but also had the meanings of "mother" or "woman". |
| German | The word 'Mama' is also a term of endearment used to address female figures, such as grandmothers, aunts, and close friends. |
| Greek | The Greek word "μαμά" (mom) originated from the sound babies make while feeding. |
| Gujarati | The Gujarati word "મમ્મી" can also refer to "a sweet, syrupy substance secreted by certain plants" and "a dark resin deposited on plants". |
| Haitian Creole | The word "manman" in Haitian Creole derives from French "maman" and also means "wet nurse". |
| Hausa | In Hausa, the word "inna" can also refer to a stepmother or an elderly woman. |
| Hawaiian | "Makuahine," meaning "mother," also refers to a type of bird or a type of wind, depending on the context of use. |
| Hebrew | The Hebrew word for "mom" is "אִמָא" (ima), which is also the word for "nation" and is likely derived from the Akkadian word "ummi" meaning "mother" or "womb." |
| Hindi | The word 'माँ' (mom) is derived from the Sanskrit word 'मातृ' (mother), and is also used as a term of endearment for females in general. |
| Hmong | The Hmong word for mom, "niam," which is also pronounced as "niag" in some dialects, is believed to come from the Proto-Hmong-Mien language and also has meanings like "old" and "respected". |
| Hungarian | The word "anya" in Hungarian is derived from the Proto-Ugric word "*ene" meaning "mother", and is a cognate with the Finnish word "äiti" and the Estonian word "ema". |
| Icelandic | "Mamma" (grandmother) derives from Old Norse "amma" (grandmother or mother), with its double "m" possibly influenced by the unrelated "mamma" (mother) |
| Igbo | The word 'nne' in Igbo can also be used to address a paternal aunt, a female friend or an older woman as a sign of respect. |
| Indonesian | The word "ibu" in Indonesian comes from the Austronesian Proto-Malayo-Polynesian root *ibu, meaning "female parent or mother." |
| Irish | The word "Mam" in Irish is an informal term for "mother" and originates from the archaic Irish word "mammy" meaning "little mother". |
| Italian | "Mamma" in Italian can also refer to "breast" in the context of breastfeeding or "grandmother" |
| Japanese | In Japanese, |
| Javanese | In Javanese, "ibu" not only means "mother", but also refers to an older married woman as a sign of respect |
| Kannada | ತಾಯಿ, meaning 'mother in Kannada, is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word *taːy, which means 'to nourish'. It is also cognate with the Sanskrit word 'mata', meaning 'mother'. |
| Kazakh | The Kazakh word "анам" means "mom" and is a colloquial form of the more respectful "әже" or "ана." |
| Khmer | It is also used to refer to female teachers or a woman who is older than the speaker. |
| Korean | In Korean, 엄마 ('mom') is originally an onomatopoeia derived from the sound of infants calling for their mother. |
| Kurdish | The word "dayê" is also used as a general term of address for an older woman. |
| Kyrgyz | The word "апа" in Kyrgyz also has the meaning of "older sister" and is used as a respectful form of address for older women. |
| Lao | ແມ່ is thought to have originated from the Pali word "mata" meaning "mother". |
| Latin | Mater in Latin can refer to a mother, a goddess, or a metaphorical source, like the motherland. |
| Latvian | In Latvian, "mamma" can also refer to a godmother or a wet nurse. |
| Lithuanian | In Lithuanian, "mama" can also mean "bread" or "food". |
| Macedonian | In addition to its primary meaning of "mother," "мајка" (majka) can also refer to a nun or a woman of a certain age or social status in the Macedonian language |
| Malagasy | The etymology of the Malagasy word "neny" is uncertain, but it may be derived from the Proto-Malayo-Polynesian word "ina". "Neny" can also mean "older female sibling" or "aunt" in some dialects. |
| Malay | The Malay word 'ibu' is cognate with the word 'ibu' in Swahili, both deriving from the Proto-Austronesian word '*ibu' meaning 'mother'. |
| Malayalam | "Amma" is the feminine form of the Sanskrit word "ama," meaning "raw" or "unprocessed". |
| Maltese | The word "omm" in Maltese derives from the Arabic word "umm" meaning "mother" and also denotes "source" or "origin". |
| Maori | The Maori word "mama" also means "nurse" or "female guardian", reflecting the importance of nurturing and caregiving in Maori culture. |
| Marathi | The Marathi word "आई" can also refer to Goddess Laxmi who is considered the Mother of the Universe. |
| Mongolian | The word "ээж" (mom) in Mongolian can also mean "aunt" or "female elder". |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | The term "အမေ" (amay) is also used by the Burmese to refer to a female elder or a teacher who has a maternal relationship with the person she is addressing. |
| Nepali | The word 'आमा' also refers to a wet nurse or a godmother in Nepali. |
| Norwegian | In Norwegian, "mamma" also means "father/dad" to children who are unable to differentiate between parents. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | The Nyanja word 'mayi' can also refer to 'water'. |
| Pashto | In Pashto, "مور" can also refer to elderly women or female ancestors. |
| Persian | مادر means 'mother' in Persian, but it can also be used as a general term of endearment towards women. |
| Polish | Mama is also the name for a type of pastry in Poland. |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | The Portuguese word "mamãe" for "mom" is likely derived from the Latin "mamma" meaning "breast" or "mother." |
| Punjabi | Punjabi word "ਮੰਮੀ" or "mommy" might derive from the Persian word "maman" meaning "mother" or from the Sanskrit word "matr" also meaning "mother". |
| Romanian | "Mama" is also used to address female teachers or other respected women, and it is sometimes used as an affectionate term for close female friends. |
| Russian | The word "Мама" is also sometimes used as a term of endearment for women who are not the speaker's mother or in a motherly role |
| Samoan | The word "tina" in Samoan can also mean "container" or "box". |
| Scots Gaelic | The Scottish Gaelic word "mama" ("mom") originally meant "nurse" or "foster mother." |
| Serbian | In Serbian, "мама" (mama) is also used as a term of endearment for female elders or close friends, like "auntie" or "auntie-mom." |
| Sesotho | Though "mme" is Sesotho for "mother," it also means "a person deserving respect" or is a title used before a married or widowed woman's name. |
| Shona | Amai can also mean "aunt", "grandmother", or "any elderly, respected woman" in Shona. |
| Sindhi | Sindhi word `ماءُ` can also mean `water` in Urdu and `mother` in Punjabi. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | }අම්මා is also used to address a respected female, especially a Buddhist nun. |
| Slovak | "Mama" can also mean "food" in Slovak slang. |
| Slovenian | The Slovenian word "mama" can also refer to a stepmother, mother-in-law, or godmother. |
| Somali | The term "hooyo" in Somali is also used to address a mother-in-law or an elderly woman respectfully. |
| Spanish | The word 'mamá' is the Spanish equivalent of 'mom' and is derived from the Latin word 'mamma', meaning 'breast' or 'mother'. |
| Sundanese | Sundanese word "indung" can also mean "mother earth". |
| Swahili | The word "mama" in Swahili can also mean "maternal aunt" or "stepmother." |
| Swedish | "Mamma" in Swedish can also mean "grandmother", although "mormor" is more common. |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The word "nanay" comes from the Proto-Austronesian word "*ina" meaning "mother" or "female." |
| Tajik | In Tajik, the word "модар" derives from Middle Iranian "mātar-," Old Persian "mātar," and Sanskrit "mātṛ". |
| Tamil | The word 'அம்மா' is also used as a term of respect for women, particularly older women. |
| Telugu | In Sanskrit, "amma" means "mother," and in Tamil, "amma" can also refer to "grandmother." |
| Thai | The word "แม่" can also refer to a female teacher, a wet nurse, or a godmother. |
| Turkish | "Anne" also means "mother" in Turkish, similar to its primary meaning in English. |
| Ukrainian | In the Ukrainian language, the word "мама" is also used as a term of endearment for adult women or as a general exclamation of surprise or frustration. |
| Urdu | The word 'ماں' originates from the Proto-Indo-European root '*māter*' and is cognate with the English word 'mother'. |
| Uzbek | "Onam" also means "hope" or "desire" in Uzbek. |
| Vietnamese | In Vietnamese, "mẹ" is not only used to address one's biological mother but also to refer to any elderly woman with a nurturing or respected role. |
| Welsh | Besides meaning "mother," "mam" can mean "an old woman" or a "motherly woman" in Welsh |
| Xhosa | Umama can also refer to the maternal grandmother or any woman who is a mother figure. |
| Yiddish | The Yiddish word "מאָם" also means "uncle" in Hebrew. |
| Yoruba | The word "Mama" in Yoruba can also refer to a female elder or ancestor. |
| Zulu | Zulu 'umama' also means 'mother of the homestead,' signifying the importance of women in Zulu society. |
| English | The word 'mom' is derived from the child's first attempts to say 'mother'. |