Understanding how to say “mom” in different languages helps people connect across cultures and families worldwide. The word for mom is one of the first and most meaningful words learned in almost every language. Whether you are learning a new language, traveling, or simply curious about global family terms, knowing how different cultures refer to mothers can be both educational and heartwarming. Below is a carefully organized table showing how to say mom in 100 languages, including native phrases and easy English pronunciations.
How to Say Mom in 100 Different Languages
| Language / Country | Native Phrase | Pronunciation |
| English | Mom / Mother | mom / muh-ther |
| Spanish | Mamá | ma-MA |
| French | Maman | ma-MAHN |
| German | Mama / Mutter | MA-ma / MOO-ter |
| Italian | Mamma | MA-ma |
| Portuguese | Mamãe | ma-MY |
| Dutch | Mama / Moeder | MA-ma / MOO-der |
| Russian | Мама | MA-ma |
| Chinese (Mandarin) | 妈妈 | ma-ma |
| Japanese | お母さん | o-KAA-san |
| Korean | 엄마 | um-ma |
| Arabic | أمي / ماما | um-mi / ma-ma |
| Hindi | माँ | maa |
| Bengali | মা | maa |
| Turkish | Anne | AN-ne |
| Greek | Μαμά | ma-MA |
| Swedish | Mamma | MA-ma |
| Norwegian | Mamma | MA-ma |
| Danish | Mor | mor |
| Finnish | Äiti | AY-ti |
| Polish | Mama | MA-ma |
| Czech | Máma | MA-ma |
| Slovak | Mama | MA-ma |
| Hungarian | Anya | ON-ya |
| Romanian | Mamă | MA-muh |
| Bulgarian | Мама | MA-ma |
| Serbian | Mama | MA-ma |
| Croatian | Mama | MA-ma |
| Slovenian | Mama | MA-ma |
| Ukrainian | Мама | MA-ma |
| Hebrew | אמא | ee-MA |
| Persian | مامان | maa-MAAN |
| Urdu | امی | um-mi |
| Punjabi | ਮਾਂ | maa |
| Tamil | அம்மா | am-MAA |
| Telugu | అమ్మ | am-MA |
| Kannada | ಅಮ್ಮ | am-MA |
| Malayalam | അമ്മ | am-MA |
| Marathi | आई | aa-ee |
| Gujarati | મા | maa |
| Nepali | आमा | aa-MA |
| Sinhala | අම්මා | am-MAA |
| Thai | แม่ | mae |
| Vietnamese | Mẹ | meh |
| Indonesian | Ibu | ee-boo |
| Malay | Ibu / Emak | ee-boo / eh-mak |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Nanay / Mama | NA-nai / ma-MA |
| Mongolian | Ээж | eej |
| Khmer | ម្តាយ | m-dai |
| Lao | ແມ່ | mae |
| Burmese | အမေ | ah-may |
| Swahili | Mama | MA-ma |
| Zulu | Umama | oo-MA-ma |
| Xhosa | Umama | oo-MA-ma |
| Afrikaans | Ma / Moeder | ma / MOO-der |
| Amharic | እናት | eh-nat |
| Somali | Hooyo | HOO-yo |
| Yoruba | Iya | ee-YA |
| Igbo | Nne | NNE |
| Hausa | Uwa | OO-wa |
| Malagasy | Neny | NE-nee |
| Hawaiian | Makuahine | ma-koo-ah-HEE-neh |
| Maori | Whaea | FA-eh-ah |
| Samoan | Tina | TEE-na |
| Tongan | Fa‘e | FA-eh |
| Fijian | Tina | TEE-na |
| Estonian | Ema | EH-ma |
| Latvian | Māte | MAA-te |
| Lithuanian | Mama / Motina | MA-ma / mo-TEE-na |
| Icelandic | Mamma | MA-ma |
| Irish | Mam | mam |
| Scottish Gaelic | Màthair | MAA-hir |
| Welsh | Mam | mam |
| Albanian | Nënë | NUH-nuh |
| Macedonian | Мама | MA-ma |
| Bosnian | Mama | MA-ma |
| Armenian | Մայր | mayr |
| Georgian | დედა | de-da |
| Azerbaijani | Ana | A-na |
| Kazakh | Ана | A-na |
| Uzbek | Ona | O-na |
| Tajik | Модар | mo-dar |
| Turkmen | Ene | eh-NE |
| Kyrgyz | Эне | eh-NE |
| Pashto | مور | mor |
| Kurdish | Dayik | DA-yik |
| Luxembourgish | Mamm | mam |
| Maltese | Omm | omm |
| Catalan | Mare | MA-re |
| Basque | Ama | A-ma |
| Galician | Nai | nai |
| Haitian Creole | Manman | man-MAN |
| Quechua | Mama | MA-ma |
| Guarani | Sy | suh |
| Aymara | Tayka | TAI-ka |
| Inuktitut | Anaana | a-NAA-na |
| Greenlandic | Anaana | a-NAA-na |
| Chamorro | Nana | NA-na |
| Tahitian | Mama | MA-ma |
| Breton | Mamm | mam |
Conclusion
The word “mom” carries deep emotional and cultural significance across the world. While pronunciations and spellings differ from one language to another, the love and respect behind the word remain universal. Learning how to say mom in different languages helps build cultural awareness, improves communication skills, and creates meaningful global connections.
FAQs
1. What is the most common way to say mom worldwide?
“Mama” or similar variations are the most widely used forms across many languages and cultures.
2. Why do many languages use similar words for mom?
Many languages use similar sounds because babies naturally produce simple sounds like “ma,” which often becomes associated with mothers.
3. How do you say mom in Asian languages?
Examples include “妈妈” (Mandarin Chinese), “엄마” (Korean), and “お母さん” (Japanese).
4. Is there a formal and informal word for mom in some languages?
Yes, some languages have both casual and respectful terms, such as “Mamá” and “Madre” in Spanish.
5. Why is learning family words important in language learning?
Family words are commonly used in everyday conversations and help learners quickly build practical vocabulary.
