KalamMother in Arabic
The Arabic word for mother is أم (umm), and "my mother" is أمي (ummī). In everyday speech most people simply call their mom ماما (māma). Dialects add their own warm forms: يمّا (yamma) in Palestine and Jordan, يمّه (yumma) in the Gulf and Iraq, and مّي (mmi) in Morocco.
Literally: “mother”
Mother across the Arab world
Arabic changes from country to country. Here's what you'll actually hear.
أمي (ummī) means "my mother." والدة is the polite, formal word used in writing and speeches.
Egyptians call their mom māma and say ommi when talking about her. "Your mom" is ommak (to a man), ommik (to a woman).
Levantineماما / إميmāma / immiMāma is the default in Lebanon and Syria. In Palestine and Jordan, يمّا (yamma) is the classic way to call out to mom.
Gulfيمّه / أميyumma / ummiGulf kids call out "yumma!" and say ummi when talking about her. Māma is common too.
Darijaمّي / الوالدةmmi / l-wālidaMoroccan Darija. l-wālida is the respectful way to say "my mother" in conversation; many families also say māma.
Other ways to say mother
How to respond
Yes? (how a mom answers when you call her)
Yes, my dear? (to a son; to a daughter: ya ḥabībti)
My life (a loving reply moms use all the time)
How to say it right
The sounds English speakers find tricky, and how to get them right.
Practise with feedbackUmm starts with a soft catch in the throat (a glottal stop) and ends on a doubled m. Hold the m a little longer than in English: "oom-m."
Adding ī turns any noun into "my": umm becomes ummī, "my mother." Egyptians round the first vowel (ommi) and Levantines flatten it (immi).
In yamma and yumma the m is doubled: YAM-ma, YUM-ma. Don't shorten it to "yama."
Moroccan mmi has no vowel before the m. Start by humming the m, then say ee: "mm-ee."
Example sentences
Mom, where are the keys?
LevantineMy mom says hi to you.
EgyptianMom, I'm heading out. Do you want anything?
GulfMy mother works as a teacher.
Standard (MSA)My mother says hi to you.
DarijaUsing it like a local
Mothers hold a special place in Arab culture. A widely quoted saying holds that "Paradise lies at the feet of mothers" (الجنة تحت أقدام الأمهات), and the poet Hafez Ibrahim wrote "A mother is a school: prepare her well and you prepare a whole people." Most Arab countries celebrate Mother's Day on March 21.
Once a woman has children, people often stop using her first name and call her Umm + her eldest son's name, such as Umm Ahmad. It is respectful and affectionate, and many mothers prefer it. Fathers get the same treatment with Abu.
Be careful with jokes about someone's mother; they land much harder than in English. In more conservative circles, men may avoid saying their mother's name in public and refer to her as al-wālida or by her kunya instead.
Mother: common questions
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How do you say mom in Arabic?
Most Arabic speakers say ماما (māma) for mom. "My mother" is أمي (ummī), pronounced ommi in Egypt and immi in the Levant. When calling out to mom, Palestinians and Jordanians say yamma, and Gulf speakers say yumma.
What does yamma mean?
يمّا (yamma) means "mom!" and is used when calling to or addressing your mother, mainly in Palestinian and Jordanian Arabic. The Gulf and Iraqi version is يمّه (yumma). It is affectionate and very common in songs and TV dramas.
What is the difference between umm and wālida?
أم (umm) is the everyday word for mother. والدة (wālida) literally means "the one who gave birth" and sounds more formal and polite. People often use it when asking about someone else's mother, as in "How is al-wālida?"
What does Umm mean in names like Umm Kulthum?
Umm means "mother of." Names like Umm Ahmad are a kunya, a respectful nickname meaning "mother of Ahmad." Umm Kulthum, the legendary Egyptian singer, carried a traditional name of this type.
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