Meaning
mother
In a sentence
Mia madre lavora in ufficio tutto il giorno.
My mother works in an office all day.
Hai già chiamato tua madre oggi?
Have you already called your mother today?
Ieri mia madre ha cucinato una pasta buonissima.
Yesterday my mother cooked a very good pasta dish.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| madre | feminine · singular |
| madri | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Use 'madre' for biological or adoptive mothers; 'mamma' is informal/affectionate, like 'mom'.
- Avoid 'madre' for stepmothers; use 'matrigna' (can imply negativity) or 'madre acquisita'.
- In compounds like 'lingua madre', it means 'mother' (e.g., 'mother tongue').