Food and drink มาม่า maa-mâa
instant noodles (from the brand MAMA) noun
- maa mid
- mâa falling
- Falling: start high and drop clearly, like a firm “No!”
How to use it
MAMA is so popular that Thais call any instant noodles มาม่าmaa-mâa, whatever the brand; the formal word on packets is บะหมี่กึ่งสำเร็จรูปbà-mìi gùeng-sǎm-rèt-rûup, "half-ready noodles". Students live on them at the end of the month, when the money runs out.
Street stalls turn them into a spicy salad, ยำมาม่าyam maa-mâa.
Other spellings you'll see
There's no single official way to write Thai in English letters. We mark the tone of every syllable; online you'll also find:
- mama
- ma ma
- mama noodle
More food and drink in Thai
All food and drink- ข้าว kâao Rice
- ข้าวเหนียว kâao-nǐaw Sticky rice
- ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง kâao-nǐaw má-mûang Mango sticky rice
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Written by the Learn Thai For Free team
Audio: AI voices, quality-checked for tones