"mamita" and "papito" in this context.

English translation: sweetie-pie & honey-bunch

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:"mamita" and "papito" in this context.
English translation:sweetie-pie & honey-bunch
Entered by: Stuart Allsop

23:31 Sep 17, 2004
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Linguistics / Soap Opera
Spanish term or phrase: "mamita" and "papito" in this context.
Script for a Mexican soap opera. A pair of lovers are always referring to each other as "mamita" and "papito". I can't really use "mommy" and "daddy" here, and I can't seem to come up with anything that fits.

Example, in a love letter: "Bueno Mamita, cuidateme mucho! Te adoro! Tu papito."
Stuart Allsop
Chile
Local time: 14:50
sweetie pie
Explanation:
One of many terms of affection between lovers and close friends.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 mins (2004-09-17 23:34:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Also sugar cone, my darling, my precious. You can use practically any to translate mamita and papito.
Selected response from:

Rene Ron
United States
Local time: 12:50
Grading comment
You'll all be VERY glad to know that the soapy script is now finished! Thanks to EVERYONE for all their help, both on this question and on all the others. You have no idea how much help you've been, with your enthusiastic suggestions and lively debates. VERY much appreciated!

I left grading this one util last, because it was the toughest. In the end, I went with "sweetie-pie" for "mamita", and "honey-bunch" for "papito". Yeah, I know it sounds forced, not very contemporary, low-class, even a bit "chulo" (Chilean slang). But so was the original, and these actually fit the context pretty well.

Once again, thanks to everyone who helped out here!
--- The End ---
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +8honey, darling, sweetie
Irene Cudich
5 +3dearie, honey, baby, toots, sugar, lovey, love of my life
Lillian van den Broeck
5 +2sweetie pie
Rene Ron
5 +1sweety, hon, darling,babe
Rossana Fernandez
5honey bunny
Exequiela Goldini
4 +1baby and daddy
Marian Greenfield
5Momma / Poppa
CarolynB
4(little/pretty) mamma or daddy/pappa
Deborah Workman
4hot mamma/ daddio/ baby
Cecilia Della Croce


  

Answers


3 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +8
mamita y papito
honey, darling, sweetie


Explanation:
Es una forma cariñosa de referirse a la pareja, puedes sustituirlo por cualquier término cariñoso en inglés. Suerte!!

Irene Cudich
Local time: 14:50
Works in field
Native speaker of: Spanish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Margaret Schroeder
8 mins
  -> thanks

agree  Maria Faella
17 mins
  -> gracias, mbelen

agree  Tehani
1 hr

agree  Paula Morabito
2 hrs

neutral  Refugio: How many of you have heard darling or sweetie used recently, except maybe to children?
4 hrs

agree  Michele Fauble: I'm called darling and sweetie every day.
5 hrs

agree  Maria Teijido: I agree with Michele, what is dated in a country or region may not be so in another. Have you seen Afsolutely Fabulous?
12 hrs

agree  PB Trans
12 hrs

agree  María Teresa Taylor Oliver: I use this every day... and definitely not to address a child. :P
20 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 min   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +2
mamita
sweetie pie


Explanation:
One of many terms of affection between lovers and close friends.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 mins (2004-09-17 23:34:53 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Also sugar cone, my darling, my precious. You can use practically any to translate mamita and papito.

Rene Ron
United States
Local time: 12:50
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 12
Grading comment
You'll all be VERY glad to know that the soapy script is now finished! Thanks to EVERYONE for all their help, both on this question and on all the others. You have no idea how much help you've been, with your enthusiastic suggestions and lively debates. VERY much appreciated!

I left grading this one util last, because it was the toughest. In the end, I went with "sweetie-pie" for "mamita", and "honey-bunch" for "papito". Yeah, I know it sounds forced, not very contemporary, low-class, even a bit "chulo" (Chilean slang). But so was the original, and these actually fit the context pretty well.

Once again, thanks to everyone who helped out here!
--- The End ---

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Clara Nino
1 hr
  -> Gracias.

agree  Michele Fauble
5 hrs
  -> Thank you, Michele.
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
honey bunny


Explanation:
otra opción:
honey bunny

Exequiela Goldini
United States
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
baby and daddy


Explanation:
as in the overused line... whose your daddy...

Marian Greenfield
Local time: 13:50
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 43

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Lisa Russell
4 hrs

neutral  MJ Barber: er, who's your daddy?
8 hrs
  -> yeah, kind of corny...
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +3
dearie, honey, baby, toots, sugar, lovey, love of my life


Explanation:
Random House Thesaurus of Slang, Esther Lewin, Albert E. Lewin

Lillian van den Broeck
Mexico
Local time: 11:50
Works in field
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 12

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Jo Mayr
22 mins
  -> :-)

agree  Refugio: honey and baby yes, the others all sound very dated
4 hrs
  -> Muy cierto Ruth, pero se trata de una telenovela cursi...Gracias

agree  Michele Fauble
5 hrs
  -> Gracias, merci Michele!
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

17 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
mamita, papito
sweety, hon, darling,babe


Explanation:
You may use any of these either for "mamita" or "papito"

Rossana Fernandez
Canada
Local time: 10:50
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in SpanishSpanish
PRO pts in category: 7

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Michele Fauble
5 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

24 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
mamita or papito (in this context)
(little/pretty) mamma or daddy/pappa


Explanation:
See little mamma: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&q="little ma...

See pretty mamma (even the Beach Boys song is quoted!): http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&q="pretty ma...

See daddy (as in sugar daddy): http://www.lyricsondemand.com/m/mariahcareylyrics/loverboyly...
"Sugar daddy" does connote that the man is a lavish provider of material things, but just "daddy" -- as in "who's your daddy" -- can mean caretaker (in the tender sense, not the legal or zoo ! sense).

An older couple, especially a working class couple, may call each other Ma and Pa or Mom and Pops, in certain parts of the States, but a younger couple is more likely to use (if they use this type of language) mamma and daddy or pappa. I have the impression that among the younger generation it's much more common that a man would refer to his wife lovingly as mamma than that a woman would call her husband daddy or pappa. Where it is used, pappa may be a little more common than daddy (which to some ears carries sinister overtones of incest or pimping).


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 25 mins (2004-09-17 23:56:16 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

If you don\'t like either of these, you can just use \"LOVERGIRL/LOVERBOY\" or \"LOVER\", though you lose the nuance of mamita/papito.

Deborah Workman
United States
Local time: 13:50
Native speaker of: English
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
hot mamma/ daddio/ baby


Explanation:
algunas opciones más, un poquito menos delicadas

Cecilia Della Croce
Argentina
Local time: 14:50
Native speaker of: Spanish
PRO pts in category: 28
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

10 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5
Momma / Poppa


Explanation:
this works nicely here


CarolynB
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)



Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs (or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

KudoZ™ translation help

The KudoZ network provides a framework for translators and others to assist each other with translations or explanations of terms and short phrases.


See also:
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search