Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

mama-san

/ˈmɑməˌsɑn/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.17 in modern English

Syllables: ma-ma-san
IPA: /ˈmɑməˌsɑn/

11

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

3

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A mother, in Japan or East Asia.

noun

A woman in a position of authority, especially the madam of a geisha bar.

Example Sentences

"‘I had a last go at the film festival, hoping those Thai mammasans would stir you up with some juice kiddy-porn.’"
""We just get one very small meal – a single rice ball or piece of bread," said Mieko Kono, a hostess bar "mama-san" who looks spectacularly out of place in the municipal office, dolled up as she is in her work clothes of leopard-print top and slacks."

Etymology

From Japanese ママ with the honorific title さん.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈmɑməˌsɑn/
British English: /ˈmaməˌsan/

Inflected Forms

mama-sans (plural) mamasan (alternative) mammasan (alternative)

Questions

How do you pronounce mama-san?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈmɑməˌsɑn/.
What does mama-san mean?: A mother, in Japan or East Asia.
Where does mama-san come from?: From Japanese ママ with the honorific title さん.

How to pronounce mama-san

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “mama-san”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈmɑməˌsɑn/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “mama-san”.
Repeat and practice — Say “mama-san” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.