Mamá o madre?
Does it matter when you use madre or mamá or padre or papá? Or is it just whichever one you want to use?
6 Answers
It doesn't matter which one you use as long as you don't use different ones every time./No importa cuál utilizas mientras no usas diferentes cada vez.
It is not usual to say "madre" and "padre". You hear them in formal language, like in a birth certificate, a speech, etc. In MY opinion, people who use madre and padre sound fake most of the times, it's like they say it on purpose because they want to sound interesting or because they are joking.
I think "mamá" and "papá" are the most common and accepted words.
In a more colloquial language you can hear "amá y apá", as gringojrf said, or the shortest versions: "ma y pa"...
Many people call their parents with diminutives, I used to do it when I was a child. In many places, like in small towns, it is still usual to hear some people call their parents "de usted", politely: "Oiga, mami, ¿puedo salir con mis amigos?" "Buenos días, papi, cómo amaneció."
Maybe you have noticed that some latinamericans call their children or even their friends "mami" and "papi". Like if I say to my son: "Ya papi/papito, ya no llores" or "Mami/ mamita, ya métete a bañar."
Por lo que sé, las palabras mamá y papá las usan los niños. Los adultos dicen padre y madre.
I agree with Nanaka that using madre and padre when directly addressing your own parents can sound fake although I think that people from other more formal cultures sometimes still do use mother and father ..it sounds as if they lack any affectionate bond ie:do not have any relationship or depth of relationship.with their parents.
These affectionate terms like mummy an daddy used by younger children in England/Uk and mum and dad by older children, teenagers and adults alike is common practice!
I believe that the common practice amoung Hispanic people is to use:
mamá o mamí / papá o papí or some of the more colloquial variations that Nanaka mentioned, (which are new to me but not at all surprising) when addressing your parents directly but madre y padre when talking about your parents, otherwise (ie: apart from this) the words madre and padre are reserved for formal and officail documents such as: birth certificates/marriage certificates and passports, job application forms.etc...
Out of interest I will double-check this with my Spanish teacher who comes from Spain and a lady .in my church who comes from Bolivia.
I hope this helps 
Yes it sure does .. like in English you wont say to your parents .. Father could you please answer the door or mother please cook me some pasta .. most people would say .. papa please answer the door ,,or pa or dad .. and mom please make me some pasta or mommy or mum ,, to show affection and sense of belonging .. similarly the idea is the same in Spanish .. in formal settings I think it would be better to say mi padre and mi madre but when talking inside your home or among friends it is better to use papå and mamá .. if I were talking to my boss and I need a leave to take my mom to the doctor ,, I would be more likely to say .. jefe, mi madre está enferma y tendría que llevarla al médico y por lo tanto por favor concedame un día libre/permiso .. I am not an expert let alone being native but I have two or three native friends and I have observed them talking like this ., hehe
It is the difference of mom and mother in English.
