Mi mamá me mima

[JazzScene]

Hi everyone. Maiden flight here
I was wondering if any of you know an English equivalent (if there is any) of the Spanish alliteration "Mi mamá me mima". Ideally, I'm in search of a sentence containing both the naivety presumed by the logical utterer of the sentence, plus the alliteration, and, let ME be naive, the alliteration of the "m", given the choice. I know you can't expect such level of equivalence between languages, but I woke up optimistic today, which is rare.
Put another way: is there a sentence that English-speaking kids say in a family context, both sounding child-like and with a repetition of sounds? Or maybe it's in a school context. Here we had this sentence in the first writing books we had at school, to drill the writing of the letter "m". Come to think of it, maybe that's where my love of curves stems from! XD. Plus "m" is the most satisfactory sound, comfortable to pronounce and using all the resonators, and present in many languages at the beginning of the most basic concepts, "Mother" and "Mine" (possesion). Also used when moaning...
Other alliterations containing "m" will be welcome, too.
Thanks and love.

 

[spodulike]

Hello JazzScene and welcome to the forum!

First of all the translation: "Mi mamá me mima" ... "My mother spoils me"

Secondly: There are many tongue twisters in English but I can´t think of an example specifically in a family context.

 

[spodulike]

I have thought of an example (not usually used by children!)

"Must make more money" ... tengo que ganar más dinero

 

[aztlaniano]

Welcome, JazzScene!
I've made this up:
My momma makes me more moist marbled mulberry muffins.

 

[Södertjej]

"Mi mamá me mima" is not a tongue twister, it's one of the first sentences children learn to write: just one consonant and several vowels. Then you go to "Mi mamá me ama" and "Amo a mi mamá" (the next level implies more "advanced" sentences as "Quito, capital de Ecuador").

Because of its origin, it's jokingly used to imply childish attitudes.

Maybe there are some typical sentences used when kids are learning to write in English which use a similar pattern, focusing on just one or two consonants and several vowels.

 

[spodulike]

JazzScene I suggest you Google reading alliteration children

You will find many websites that may help you.

 

[JazzScene]

Wow, such fast responses!
Thanks all for your contributions

Aztlaniano, yours is very creative If you made it up, I take my hat off to you. Maybe we should use it and spread it, it's well worth it.

Keep 'em comin', please.

 

[aztlaniano]

"Mi mamá me mima" is not a tongue twister, it's one of the first sentences children learn to write: just one consonant and several vowels. Then you go to "Mi mamá me ama" and "Amo a mi mamá" (the next level implies more "advanced" sentences as "Quito, capital de Ecuador").
Maybe there are some typical sentences used when kids are learning to write in English which use a similar pattern, focusing on just one or two consonants and several vowels.

Actually in English it's more often different consonants with the same vowel, that is to say, rhymes (e.g. "the fat rat sat on the mat", "the cook took a look at the book").
Check any of the Dr Seuss books for "real-life" examples.

 

[duncandhu]

Actually in English it's more often different consonants with the same vowel, es decir, rimas (e.g. "the fat rat sat on the mat").
Check any of the Dr Seuss books.

An excellent recommendation, this seems to be exactly what the OP is looking for.

 

[Masood]

Hi everyone. Maiden flight here
I was wondering if any of you know an English equivalent (if there is any) of the Spanish alliteration "Mi mamá me mima".

Hola

To maintain meaning etc, I suggest something like:

My momma mollycoddles me.

¿Qué os parece?

 

[JazzScene]

"My momma mollycoddles me" quite seems to fit the bill. Does it have the comical component that the Spanish expression may convey, on many occasions?

I'll certainly check into Dr. Seuss's books.

Thanks all again

 

[JazzScene]

Is there some containing "poppa" "pamper" etc?

 

[rldavis]

Hola, JazzScene,
Vas trobar una resposta a la teva pregunta? El tema és molt interessant!

I thought this question was intriguing because of the difference in how Spanish- and English-speaking children are taught to write. In Spanish, the focus seems to be on CV (consonant+vowel) syllables, (e.g. "mi.ma.má.me.mi.ma"). In English, the traditional phonics approach emphasizes syllable onsets and rhymes (pl+ay = play, d+ay = day, etc.; r+un = run, f+un= fun, etc.).

English-speaking kids of my generation and before grew up on a pre-phonics approach, reading monosyllabic texts about Dick and Jane and Sally and their dog Spot. "Run, Dick, run! Sally, see Dick run. Dick runs fast. Stop, Dick, stop!"

So if you were going for the "cultural flavor" that would recall the simplicity or naiveté of young children, the above sentences would resonate with U.S. English speakers. Unfortunately, they don't have the poetry or alliteration of "Mi mamá me mima"!

The short, monosyllabic sentences, even for younger generations, are well entrenched in U.S. popular culture. Films in 1977 and 2005 were entitled Fun with Dick and Jane (the title of one of the readers), and if you do a google image search for "dick and jane" you'll find lots of parodies of the children's books.

BTW, in the Dick and Jane books, the parents, or any adults, don't show up much at all. I always wondered, "who is supervising these children?"! Quite a contrast to starting off with "mi mamá"!

Another aside: Is it still the case that Spanish-speaking kids learn cursive writing first, then block letters? In the U.S. we learn to print (letra de molde) first, then cursive two years later.

 

[aztlaniano]

Is it still the case that Spanish-speaking kids learn cursive writing first, then block letters?

Yes, at least as of five years ago, which was the last time one of my children started school, it was still the case.