[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/mama/)

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# mama

noun (a mama, mamas; also mamma, momma)

«mama» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## 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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mama/#m1)
2. (informal, US) «Mama» or «momma» is used as an everyday word for mum. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mama/#m2)
3. (slang) «Mama» can be a friendly or flirty word for a woman, and «big mama» means a large or powerful woman. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mama/#m3)
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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mama/#m4)

### 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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mama/#x1)
- «Mama, can I have a biscuit?» [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mama/#x2)
- In the story, Mama Bear's porridge was too cold. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mama/#x3)
- (Ukrainian) «Мама» (mama) means mum in Ukrainian. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mama/#x4)
- (Mandarin) «māma» means mum in Chinese. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mama/#x5)
- (informal) He's a real mama's boy who does everything his mum says. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mama/#x6)
- «Mamma mia!» shouted the chef when the pizza burned. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mama/#x7)
- My friend calls her mother Mama, and I call mine Mum. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mama/#x8)
- Mama purchased thirty copies of the paper, that she might cut out the paragraph and send it to friends and acquaintances. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mama/#x9)

### 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.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «mama» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/M/mama/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«mama» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/mama.html) on Mova free.