mama

Everyday

1. (informal, child's word) Mama is a word for mother, often used by young children or in families; it is one of the first words babies say. tree →
2. (informal, US) «Mama» or «momma» is used as an everyday word for mum. tree →
3. (slang) «Mama» can be a friendly or flirty word for a woman, and «big mama» means a large or powerful woman. tree →
4. (French, Spanish, Italian, Ukrainian, Mandarin and many other languages) «mama» or «mamá» or «māma» also means mother in many languages, because babies easily say «ma-ma»; in Ukrainian «мама» (mama) is the everyday word for mum. tree →

In the lessons

In stories, songs and nursery rhymes «mama» is a loving word for mother: «Mama bear», «Hush, little baby, don't say a word, Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird». In everyday British English «mum» or «mummy» is more usual, in American «mom» or «mommy», in Australia and NZ «mum», in Ireland «mam» or «mammy»; «mama» is common among families from many backgrounds and languages. Phrases: mama bear, mama's boy, mama mia (from Italian «mamma mia», «my mother!» — an exclamation of surprise).

Examples

• The baby's first word was «mama». tree →
• «Mama, can I have a biscuit?» tree →
• In the story, Mama Bear's porridge was too cold. tree →
• (Ukrainian) «Мама» (mama) means mum in Ukrainian. tree →
• (Mandarin) «māma» means mum in Chinese. tree →
• (informal) He's a real mama's boy who does everything his mum says. tree →
• «Mamma mia!» shouted the chef when the pizza burned. tree →
• My friend calls her mother Mama, and I call mine Mum. tree →
• Mama purchased thirty copies of the paper, that she might cut out the paragraph and send it to friends and acquaintances. tree →

Note

Countable: a mama, mamas. Pronounced «MAH-muh» (US also «muh-MAH» in old British use). Capital M when used as a name: «Thank you, Mama.» but small m with «my»: «my mama». Spellings vary: mama, mamma, momma. Many unrelated languages have a similar word because «ma» is an easy baby sound.